-  ^ 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


^,%^  />\^ 
k^.  '  ''^$' 


1.0 


I.I 


Li|2j8    |25 

■^  ^    12.2 

!tf  144    "^ 


118 

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m 

1.6 


6" 


Photographic 

Sdences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  S1»HT 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  USSO 

(716)872-4303 


.1 


\ 


,.<^ 


i£. 


i/.. 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibllographiques 


The  institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  hibliographicaiiy  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


n 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


|~n    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag^e 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pelliculAe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couvarture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 


□    Coloured  inic  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

r~n    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReilA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrie  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lore  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
male,  lorsque  ceia  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  Ai6  filmtes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilieur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  AtA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  Image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mAthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  Indiqute  ci-dessous. 


D 
D 
D 
0 

0 
0 
O 
O 
D 
0 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  peiiicui^es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dteoiortes,  tachet6es  ou  piqu6es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tach^es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  in^gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppKmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalernent  ou  partieiiement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmtes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The  e 
tothi 


Da 

Theii 
possi 
of  th( 
fllmir 


Origii 
begir 
theli 
sion, 
other 
first  I 
sion, 
or  nil 


The  I 
shall 
TINU 
whici 

Mapi 
dlffei 
entiri 
begir 
right 
requi 
meth 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

•-■   ! 

y 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

»laire 
IS  details 
quas  du 
It  modifiar 
(igar  una 
ia  f  ilmaga 


Tha  copy  filmad  hara  haa  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroaity  of: 

Library. 
Department  of  Fiiheriet  and  Oceans 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibiiity 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacif icationa. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  last  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa- 
sion,  or  tha  back  covar  whan  appropriata.  All 
othar  original  copias  ara  filmad  baginning  on  tha 
first  paga  wKh  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa- 
sion.  and  anding  on  tha  laat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  iiluatratad  imprassion. 


d/ 
lutes 


L'axamplaira  filmi  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
g4n4rosit*  da: 

Biblioth^ue. 
MiniitAre  des  ptehet  et  ocians 

Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  4t*  raprodultas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soln.  compta  tanu  de  la  condition  et 
da  la  nattat*  da  l'axamplaira  film*,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
fllmaga. 

Las  axamplairas  origlnaux  dont  la  couvartura  en 
papiar  est  imprimis  sont  filmis  an  commenpant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  termlnant  soit  par  ia 
darnlAre  paga  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'iilustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplaires 
origlnaux  sont  filmis  en  commenpant  par  la 
pramlAre  paga  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iilustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


Tha  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  «^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  appara?tra  sur  la 
darniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — »>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 


taire 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmad  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  ara  filmad 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  tha 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmte  A  des  taux  de  rteuction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  6tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  film6  A  partir 
da  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  an  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithoda. 


by  errata 
nad  to 

lent 

une  pelure, 

fa^on  A 


1- 

1, 

2 

3 

2 

3 

4 

S 

6 

32X 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


AMERICAN  FISHES 


A  POl^ULAR  trea'hsl: 


UPON    IHK 

GAME  AND    FOOD   FISHES 


OF 


NORTH    AMERICA 


WITH    ESPECIAL    REFERENCE    TO    HABITS 
•      AND    METHODS    OF    CAPTURE 

BV 

G.   BROWX   GOODII 

A88I8TANT  SKCRKTARY    l)H   TIIF.  SMITHSONIAN    INSTITITIIlN    IN    CH  VIKIK  UK    Till;    r.   S.    NATIllNAI.    HI.'.SKUW 

LATR  r.  S.  roMMISSlONKK  To  TIIK.  INTKKX  XTIONAl,  FISllKltlKS  KXIIIIUTIONS  IN  HKKLIN 

AND  LONDON;    AfTIIOR  OK   "(iAMK  I'lSHKH  OK  TIIK  INITK.D  STATKS.' 

•KISIIEKIKS  AND  KISIIKRY  INDI'STRIES  OK  TIIK 

VNITKD   STATKS.  ■  KTC,  KTC. 


WITH    NUMEROUS    ILLUSTRATIONS 


i^RARy 


MAY  17  1962 


BOSTON: 
E  S  T  E  S     AND     L  A  U  R  I  A  T. 

Uublfsbers 


Copyrtfihled,  1887. 


DEDICATION. 


This  little  Iwok  on  tlic  Jislics  of  ^hucrica,  is  dedicated  io 
my  Brot/ier-Ichthyologists  in  other  lands 


Dr.  NICHOLAS  APOSTOI.IDKS,  of  Atluns  ; 

Dr.  K()IU:RTCf)I.I.KT'r,  cf  Cliristiaiiia  ; 

1)K.  FRANCIS  DAY,  orCluIUiiliani,  KiiKlaiul  ; 

Pkok.  F.NRICO  II.  C.IC.I.IOI.I,  of  FlorciKv  ; 

I)K.  AI.BFRT  C.  L.  G.  GUNTIIKR.  of  tiiu  Hritish  Museum; 

Dk.  JAMES  HKCTOR.  of  Ni  w  Zialaiul ; 

Pkok.  a.  A.  Hrr.RKCirr,  of  rtncht; 

Dk.  FRAN/  M.  HII,C.I:NI)(  )RF,  of  Merlin; 

.Mkssks.  K.  ITO,  aiitl  S.  MATSUI5ARA,  of  Japan; 

Dk.  CHRi.STIAN  FCTKFN,  of  Copcnhauvn  ; 

Dk.  ANDRIvJEAN  .MALMCiREX,  of  Ilclsingfors  ; 

Prok.  PIICTRO  I'AV1:SI,  of  I'avia; 

Dk.  E.MILE  SAUVAGE,  of  Paris  ; 

Pkok.  F.  A.  S.MITT.  of  Stockliulm ; 

Df)N  FELIPE  P()i:V,  of  Havana  ; 

Dk.  FRANZ  .STEINDACHNER,  of  Vienna; 

Dk.  DECK)  VINCIGUICRRA,  of  Rome  ; 

Pkoi--.  OSCAR  vo.N  GRI.MM,  of  St.  Petersburg— 

in  memory  of  much  pleasant  intercourse  in  the  past,  especially 
during'  the  recent  Fisheries  ExJiibitions  in  Berlin  and  Lon- 
don^ and  loith  the  hope  that  its  publication  may  lead  to  a 
toider  popular  appreciation,  in  ^Imerica,  of  the  importance 
and  interest  of  Ichthyological  Science. 


VAXirvwyiy^^ 


t  A  je  rf(rn,i:;iiiru,  soiitiant  io  ^^toiif  (ciiciie,  Glau(}ue, 
Prn/it,  Xtri't\  (t  millc  iiiifrcs  i/ieiix  tl  nioiistiei 
vhin'iis.  I  'tixmcs  aussi  noiiihrc  iiifinv  tit'/ioissoiis,  ni  cspfcei 
tfircrsrs,  (ht/ituin/s,  vohjiits,  ''olti):^caiits,  iom/'iitfoiits,  man- 
gtaii/s,  /rs/>/nr///s,  bchitiints,  cluissants,  lircssaiils  tscar- 
vtouihis,  fiiisaiils  ciuhiiSiiufc.  loiii/osiin/s  trtfocs,  mat. 
chaiuhiiits,  Jiiraii/s,  sr/'/t/Ar/z/s. 

En  till  ci'iiii;  la  pies  7'cisiues  Aristoicles,  fntaut  unt 
lantenic,  cxpiaiit,  consuieraiit,    Ic    tout  redigtaiit  pat , 

I'ANiAUKUEL.   V.,  XXxl. 


f'M 


mm 


mi 


Quit,  ni'if  ^iiiisselffiics 

tui  HhJuS  HUtUli-  ir.-,/.'»-.7. 
LiN.N.BU*. 


CONTJiNl^S. 


Pro/oi^uc , 

IVie  Ycllo'iO  Perch 

The  Pike  Perches 

The  Striped  Pass 

The  WJiite  JUiss  and  the  Yelhn 

The    White  Perch 

The  Sea  Passes 

The  Groupers  and  the  /cto  Pis/ 

The  lHack  Passes 

2'he  Sun  Pishes  and  their  A I  lie. 

Snappers  and  Red  Months 

The  Sheepshead 

The  Sciippaii^^  and  the  Pair  .1/ 

The  Red  Drum , 

The  Stjueteai^ue 

The  Kin}:;  and  Queen  Pishes... 
Spots,  Croakers  and  Roncador. 

Sea  Drum  and  Lake  Drum 

Cohia,  Moonfish  and  Plashcr.. 

The  Pluefish 

The  Mackerel  and  its  Allies. . . 
The  Spanish  Mackerel  and  the 

The  Pompanocs 

Bonitoes  and  Tunnies 


Pan; 

xi 


1 1 


.i5 


47 
54 
64 


S3 
9- 


101 


1 10 


I  2 


129 


144 

157 
163 

184 

198 

206 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


T/ie  Harvest  Fishes 221 

The  Ciivally  and  other  Carangoids 226 

Sivord  Fish,  Spear  Fish  and  Cutlass  Fish 239 

The  Rose  Fish  and  its  Allies 257 

Pike,  Miiskclliinge  and  Pickerel 274 

Tautog,  Chogset  atid  Parrot-fish 287 

Sculpins  and  Gurnards 307 

Halibut,  Flatfi^-h  and  Flounder 307 

Cod,  Pollock,  Haddock  and  Hake 333 

The  Mullets 365 

The  Cat-fish  or  Pull-head 376 

The  Herring  and  its  Allies 381 

Carp,  Dace  and  Minnoro   411 

Ihe  Salmon 44 1 

The  Salmon   Trouts 454 

The  Lake    Trouts 462 

The  Brook  Trouts  or  Chars 469 

The  Pacific  Salmons 480 

The  Graylings 484 

The  White-fishes  and  the  Smelts 488 

Index 493 


PROLOGUE, 


Athkx.f.us  :   Dcipnosophia. 


44/^OME,  let  us  discourse  about  fish,"  said  Athenreus,  in  his  "  Dcipno- 
Sophia,"  and  so  said  Mr.  A.  R.  Hart,  coming  into  my  study 
last  January.  "Write  us  a  book  about  fish  and  fishing  in  America," 
he  urged,  and  since,  as  it  happens,  I  know  more  about  fish  and  fisliing  in 
America  than  I  do  about  anything  else,  I  consented. 

This  volume  has  been  prepared  for  the  use  of  the  angler,  the  lover  of 
nature,  and  the  general  reader.  It  is  not  intended  for  naturalists,  and  the 
technicalities  of  zoological  description  have  therefore  been  avoided  ;  for 
the  concise  and  precise  phraseology  of  science,  admirable  though  it  be  for 
the  use  of  those  who  have  been  trained  to  employ  it,  is  to  others  not  only 
misleading,  but  it  may  be,  re])ulsive. 

1  have  aimed  to  include  in  my  discussion  every  North  American  fish 
which  is  likely  to  be  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  either  because  of 
its  gameness  or  its  economic  uses.  All  others  are  excluded,  because, 
from  the  standpoint  of  scientific,  interest,  every  one  of  the  seventeen  hun- 
dred and  fifty  species  indigenous  to  our  continent  has  eijual  claim  to  con- 
sideration, and  to  discuss,  or  even  casually  mention  them  all,  within  the 
limits  of  a  book  of  ordinary  size,  would  be  next  to  impossible.  President 
Jordan's  recent  pamphlet,  entitled  "A  Catalogue  of  the  Fishes  Known 
to  Inhabit  the  Waters  North  of  the  Tropic  of  Cancer,  with  notes  on  the 
Species  Discovered  in  1SS3  and  1884,"  contains,  with  its  indexes,  184 
pages,  and  this  is  merely  a  list,  His  "  Synopsis  of  the  Fishes  of  North 
America,"  which  simply  ei'umerates  and  gives  brief  diagnoses  of  the  four- 
teen hundred  or  more  species  known  in  1882,  contains  1018  pages.  The 
former  of  these  works  is  published  by  the  United  States  Fish  Commission, 
the  latter  by  the  National  Museum,  and  to  these  and  to  the  numerous 
monographic  papers  published  in  the  transactions  of  learned  societies  and 
scientific  institutions  in  America  and  abroad,   I  would  refer  the  student 


xu 


AMERICAN  F'ISHES. 


who  desires  to  make  a  serious  study  of  the  technical  portion  of  American 
ichthyology.  My  own  little  library  of  works  on  fish  and  fishing  is  far 
from  comi)letc,  yet  it  includes  over  two  thousand  volumes  and  i)amphlets, 
and  my  "  Bi])liograi)hy  of  American  Ichthyology,"  which  1  hope  to  i)ub- 
lish  within  tlie  next  two  years,  comprises  nearly  ten  thousand  titles  of 
books  and  i)apers.  It  is  evident  that  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  book  on 
American  fishes  which  shall  include  more  than  a  very  small  ])art,  indeed,  of 
what  might  be  said  upon  the  subject.  I  hope  that  the  readers  of  this 
volume  will  feel  that  a  judicious  selection  of  topics  has  been  made. 

Only  the  most  important  species  are  referred  to,  and  in  the  discussion 
of  them  all  descriptive  matters  are  omitted  save  those  which  relate  to 
color.  Tliere  is  an  Oriental  proverb  to  the  effect  that,  "  Though  the  dis- 
tance between  the  ear  and  the  eye  is  very  small,  the  difference  between 
hearing  and  seeing  is  very  great." 

Acting  in  the  s|)irit  of  this  wise  saying,  a  figure  of  almost  every  species  * 
discussed  is  presented,  by  the  aid  of  which  any  one  interested  in  fishes 
can  determine  the  correct  zoological  name  of  the  form  before  him,  and 
by  referring  to  the  accompanying  text  can  learn  what  is  known  about  its 
geographical  range,  habits,  methods  of  capture  and  economical  uses. 
Mxact  bibliographical  references  are  given  in  footnotes,  to  direct  the 
reader  to  fuller  discussions  of  subjects  referred  to  when  there  are  such  in 
existence. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book  constant  use  has  been  made  of  my  own 
previous  writings,  and  especially  to  the  quarto  work  on  Food  Fishes, 
published  by  the  Government  in  1885.  Upon  that  work,  in  fact,  this 
one  is  based,  being  essentially  a  rearrangement  in  condensed  form.  The 
text  has,  however,  been  for  the  most  part  rewritten,  and  much  new  matter 
has  been  added.  One  of  my  chief  motives  in  preparing  this  volume  has 
been  the  desire  to  see  some  of  the  results  of  twenty  years'  study  of  fishes 
printed  in  substantial  and  dignified  form,  in  a  book  which  shall  not  look 
out  of  place  on  a  library  shelf;  for  it  has  been  my  lot  hitherto  to  have  all 
the  products  of  my  pen  published  in  those  dismal  looking  bunches  of  papers 
known  as  public  documents,  which  of  necessity  must  be  classified  among 
Charles  Lamb's   "  books  which  are  not  books." 

The  author  acknowledges  his  extended  and  continued  indebtedness,  in 

♦Nearly  all  of  the  figures  of  American  species  are  copied  from  the  figures  in  the  publications  of  the  U.  S. 
Fish  Commission,  and,  by  the  kind  consent  of  Prof.  Baird,  the  engravings  have  in  most  instances  been  made 
direct  from  the  original  drawings.     The  remainder  have  been  copied  from  standard  European  authorities. 


PROLOGUE. 


Mil 


the  first  place  to  his  teacher  and  master,  Prof.  Baird,  and  secondly,  to  his 
colleagues  in  the  preparation  of  the  (jiiarto  volume  just  referred  to,  especially 
to  Dr.  Jordan,  Dr.  Bean,  Capt.  Collins,  Mr.  I'.arll  and  Mr.  Stearns.  If 
in  some  instances  the  ([uotation  marks  have  been  omitted  in  connection 
with  statements  derived  from  their  i)en,  it  is  simply  because  in  the  work 
of  abridgment  certain  changes  have  been  made  in  their  phraseology,  for 
which  it  seems  hardly  i)roper  to  hold  them  responsible.  It  is  proper  to 
say  that  all  the  biographies  of  the  fishes  of  the  Pacific,  and  the  minor  fresh- 
water sjiecies,  are  due  to  Jordan,  and  that  Stearns  is  e([ually  responsible 
for  what  is  said  of  the  fishes  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  \\'\\\\  Bean  the 
writer  has  long  sustained  a  ]iartnership  in  all  matters  ichthyological  • 
with  Collins  and  Karll  similar  relations  in  matters  connected  with  the 
study  of  fishery  economy,  and  in  such  associations  it  is  not  always  possible 
to  separate  interests  in  such  a  manner  as  to  place  credit  where  it  jirojierly 
belongs.  The  classification  followed  is  the  system  elaborated  and  ad- 
vocated by  Dr.  Oill,  undoubtedly  the  most  erudite  and  philosophic  of  liv- 
ing systematic  ichthyologists. 

Perhajis  some  may  feel  aggrieved  because  there  are  no  discussions  of 
rods,  reels,  lines,  hooks  and  flies,  and  no  instructions  concerning  camj)- 
ing  out,  excursions,  routes,  guides  and  hotels.  To  such  the  author  would 
say  that  he  has  at  present  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  enter  upon  these 
subjects.  Men  who  know  them  better  than  he  have  already  written  what 
should  be  written.  Thaddeus  Norris's  "American  Angler's  Book"  is  an 
excellent  guide  in  the  selection  and  construction  of  tackle.  Roosevelt's 
"Game  Fishes  of  the  North"  and  "Superior  Fishing"  are  full  of  good 
suggestions,  and  Scott's  "  Fishing  in  American  Waters,"  and  even  the 
works  of  Brown  and  Frank  Forrester,  are  at  times  useful.  Hallock's 
"Sportsman's  Gazetteer"  points  out  distant  localities  for  sport  to  the 
few   who   are   not  satisfied  with  home  attractions. 

The  files  of  "  Forest  and  Stream,"  "The  American  Field  "  and  "  The 
American  Angler"  are  treasuries  which  cannot  be  exhausted,  and  the  back 
volumes  of  the  monthlies,  "  Harpers,"  "  Lippincott's"  and  the  "  Century  '' 
are  full  of  finely  illustrated  essays,  of  interest  to  fishermen  and  anglers. 

The  English  "Field,"  "Land  and  Water "  and  "Fishing  Gazette" 
are  also  full  of  interest  for  Americans. 

Prof.  Mayer's  "Sport  with  Gun  and  Rod  in  American  Woods  and 
Waters  "  is  a  charming  and  instructive  book  made  up  chiefly  of  reprinted 
magazine  essays. 


XIV 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  Reports  and  Bulletins  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  must 
not  be  overlooked,  and  the  reports  of  the  State  Commissions,  the  reports 
of  the  Canadian  Department  of  PMshery,  the  bulletin  of  the  French  Society 
of  Acclimation,  the  circulars  of  the  (rerman  Fischerei-Verein,  and  the 
])ul)lications  of  the  London  and  Berlin  Fisheries  Exhibitions  are  worthy  of 
study. 

I  do  not  think  that  the  term  "  game  fish  "  has  ever  been  properly  defined. 
It  is  generally  supposed  to  apply  to  fishes  which  are  active,  wily  and  cour- 
ageous, and  whose  capture  requires  skill  or  cunning — those,  in  short, 
which  afford  sport  to  the  sportsman.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  although  most 
food  fishes  arc  not  game  fishes,  no  fish  which  is  not  of  the  highest  rank  as 
a  table  delicacy  is  rated  by  Americans  as  a  game  fish.  The  barbel,  the 
dace  and  the  roach,  the  pets  of  the  father  of  angling,  classical  in  the  i)ages 
of  si)ortsman's  literature,  are  despised  ny  new  world  authorities,  and  are 
now  considered  "coarse  fish  "  even  by  English  writers.  Yet  they  afford 
excellent  sport — sport  which  in  England  tens  of  thousands  enjoy  to  every 
one  who  gets  the  chance  to  whip  a  salmon  or  trout  line  over  j)re.served 
waters. 

"Ciame"  in  law  and  every  day  usage  is  a  term  employed  to  describe 
wild  animals — -ferce  natiinc,  in  which  no  man  holds  personal  title  of 
possession.  Game  birds  are  those  which  can  only  be  obtained  occasion- 
ally and  with  difficulty,  and  which,  having  been  obtained,  are  worthy  the 
notice  of  the  epicure.  Game  fishes  are  rated  in  much  the  same  manner, 
it  appears  to  me.  If  not,  why  were  the  Pompano,  the  King-fish  and  the 
California  Salmon  and  the  Spanish  Mackerel  included  among  the  twenty 
selected  to  be  painted  by  Kilbourn  for  Scribner's  atlas  of  the  game  fishes 
of  the  United  States.  Surely  not  because  they  afford  sjiort  to  the  sports- 
man.    Some  years  ago  I  defined  the  term  as  follows : 

Game  fishes  are  those  which  by  reason  of  the  courage,  strength,  beauty 
anil  the  sapidity  of  their  flesh  are  sought  for  by  those  who  angle  for  sport 
with  delicate  fishing  tackle. 

Now  I  should  simply  say  that — 

A  game  fish  is  a  choice  fish,  a  fish  not  readily  obtained  by  wholesale 
methods  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  nor  constantly  to  be  had  in  the  mar- 
kets— a  fish,  furthermore,  which  has  some  degree  of  intelligence  and  cun- 
ning, and  which  matches  its  own  wits  against  those  of  the  angler,  requir- 
ing skill,  forethought  and  ingenuity  to  compass  its  capture. 


PROLOGUE. 


XV 


Many  writers,  especially  those  of  America,  show  a  (lisjjosition  to  deny 
the  rank  of  '"game  fishes"  to  all  si)ecies  which  will  not  rise  to  a  surface 
lure.  This  is  illogical  such,  if  it  were  strictly  insisted  upon,  shec])shead 
and  sea-bass  woulil  be  counted  out,  while  the  shad  and  c'ven  the  gar-pike 
must  needs   be  allowed  at  least  humble  jiositions  among  the  game  fishes. 

I  hope  that  the  readers  of  this  book  will  freely  communicate  to  me  any 
new  facts  concerning  American  fishes,  or  any  criticisms  of  erroneous  state- 
ments, for  use  in  preparing  such  fuller  and  better  editions  of  this  book  as 
it  may  be  decided  in  future  to  publish. 

It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  feel  that  this  little  volume  will  ])rol)ably  be 
the  companion  of  men  whom  I  know,  or  should  like  to  know,  in  numerous 
delightfid  excursions  to  lake,  brook  and  sea.  In  closing  this  prologue  I 
feel  disj)0sed  to  repeat  the  prayer  at  the  end  of  Walton's  immortal  pas- 
toral :  "  That  the  blessing  of  St.  Peter's  master  be  upon  all  that  hate 
contentions,  and  love  (juietnesse,  and  virtue,  and  go  a-angling." 


G.  B.  G. 


Smithsonian  Institution, 

Washington,  Dec.  i,  i8S6. 


TN  vain  had  Cod  storM  Hcav'n  with  ^listriiiL'  studs, 

The  plain  with  Rniin,  the  moiiiitaiii  tops  witli  wuuds, 
Scvcr'd  the  Aire  frcnii  Fire,  tlic  K.arth  from  Water, 
Had  lie  not  soon  i)eopled  tliis  lari;e  Theatre 
Witli  livill^;  creatures  :  therefore  he  hegaii 
(Tlii>-l)ayl  to  i|uickeii  in  the  (\,-itn 
Instandini;  /'oo/s,  and  in  the  s'.ra.nnlinK  A'/7'<'rj 
(Whose  folding  Chanell  fort  ill  Champain  severs) 
So  many  J-'islics  of  so  many  features 
That  in  the  Waters  one  may  see  all  Creatures 
And  all  that  in  this  All  is  to  he  found  : 
As  if  the  World  within  the  Ueeps  were  drown'd. 

One  I  like  a  I'irat)  onely  lives  of  prizes. 
That  in  the  Deep  he  desperately  surprises  ; 
Another  haunts  the  shore,  to  feed  on  foam  : 
Another  round  about  the  Rocks  doth  roam, 
NihhlinK  on  Weeds  ;  another  hating  theeving, 
Kats  nought  at  all,  of  licpior  onely  living  : 
For  the  salt  humor  of  his  clement 
Servs  him,  alone,  for  perfect  nourishment. 

Some  love  the  clear  streams  of  swift  tumbling  torrents. 
Which  through  the  rocks  straiiung  their  struggling  currents 
Break  Hanks  &  I'.ridges  ;  and  do  never  stop 
Till  thirsty  Summer  comes  to  drink  them  up  ; 
Some  almost  alwaics  pudder  in  the  mud 
Of  sleepy  Pools,  and  never  brook  the  flood 
Of  Chrystall  streams,  that  in  continuall  motion 
Bend  toward  the  bosom  of  their  Mother  Ocean. 

O  watry  Citizens,  what  Umpeer  bounded 

Your  liquid  Livings?  O  I  what  Monarch  mounded 

With  walls  your  City?  what  severest  Law 

Keeps  your  huge  armies  in  so  certain  aw. 

That  you  encroach  not  on  the  neighboring  Borders 

Of  your  swim-brethren  ? 

What  cunning  Prophet  your  fit  time  doth  show? 
What  Heralds  trumnet  summons  you  to  go? 
What  (luide  conducteth,  Day  &  Night,  your  Legions 
Through  p.athdess  Path  in  unacquainted  Regions? 
Surely  the  same  that  made  you  first  of  Nought 
Who  in  your  Nature  some  Ideas  wrought 
Of  (iood  and  Kvill ;  to  the  end  that  we 
Following  the  Good  might  from  the  Evill  flee. 

Du  Bartas  His  First  l^eck  ;  or  The  Birth  of  th*  World,  1605 


AMERICAN    FISHES. 


THE  YKLLOW  PERCH. 

Pirca  Jliiiiatilis. 


It  is  ;i  lr\io  tl>li,  Mil  li  ^l^  the  :niL;li-T  lnvr-.  lc>  imt  iiitu  lii>  li.i-kct  iir  luui^  cm  tu])  ofliis 
willow  twi,;  (HI  sluuly  aftcrnuoii^,  aloni;  llic  ly.mks  of  the  ^Irc.im^. 

'I'linKi-Af,  W'aldcn  roiui. 


npHI'".  PICRCH  is  a  member  of  a  very  ancient  rare.  A  closely  related 
form  has  been  fcnind  fossil  in  the  tertiary  (le])()sits  of  (I'Jiingen,  and 
its  Avide  distribution  throughout  the  northern  hemisphere  testifies  to  its 
existence  in  its  present  form  at  a  remote  period.  Additional  eviden(  e  of 
the  anticpiity  of  the  species  is  found  in  the  fact  that  its  ( Dmmon  names 
are  much  the  same  in  many  I'luropean  languages  wiiich  diverged  from  a 
common  stock,  thousands  of  years  back  in  history. 

The  Perch  is  found  almost  everywhere  in  Europe,  though  it  is  said  to  be 
rare  in  the  north  of  Scotland.  It  ranges  to  Lajiland  and  Siberia,  antl 
ascends  the  slopes  of  the  Alps  to  the  height  of  more  than  4000  feet.  It 
inhabits  the  sea  of  Azov,  and  the  brae  kish  waters  of  the  Caspian  and 
Baltic,  and  is  everywhere  a  well-known  and  useful  spec  ies. 

In  America  it  exists  in  all  the  waters  of  the  Atlantic  slope,  from  Labra- 
dor to  (leorgia,  throughout  the  Creat  Lake  region,  and  in  the  upper  part 


AMKRICAX  J'/S/fKS. 


of  the  Mississi])])!  \alk-y,  cs])c'(ially  in  the  tribtitariL-s  of  tlic  Mississi])])!  in 
AN'isconsin  and  Minnesota,  andof  tlic  Ohio,  in  Indiana  ami  Oiiio.  It  docs 
not  o(  ( 111-  in  the  h)\ver  Mississippi  basin,  nor  on  tlie  western  sk)pe  of  the 
Alleifhanies. 

'i'here  is  no  rejjresentative  of  tlie  genus  in  the  tributaries  of  the  Pacific, 
either  American  or  Asiatic,  I)iit  the  alUed  PiTcirhtliys  replaces  it  in  teni- 
perat :  South  America  (Patai^^onia,  I'eru  and  Chili),  while  in  northern 
China  Siiiipcrca  fills  its  stead.  The  Stone-jien  h.  Pope,  Ruffe,  Kaul- 
barsch  or  (Iremille,  of  Murope,  Aceriiia  ci-niiia,  which  somewhat  resembles 
the  Perch,  though  more  nearly  related  to  the  Pike-perches  is,  jjerhaps 
fortunately,  not  foinid  in  America. 

Authorities  are  not  harmonious  in  opinicjn  as  to  the  specific  identity 
of  the  American  and  the  ICiiropean  Perch,  (iiinther,  Steindachncr  and 
Day  maintain  that  they  are  the  same,  while  Jordan  is  eipially  positive  that 
the  PtriO  amcriciina  or  /'.  fliTi'i'sccns  of  American  writers  is  at  least  a  dis- 
tinct sub-species.  It  is  mytjwn  impression  that  the  American  Perch  (  an- 
not  be  positively  sei)arated  from  that  ofEurope,  which,  as  Day  has  shown, 
is  extensively  variable  in  form  and  color. 

Perch  frecpientciuiet  waters  of  moderate  depth,  i)ools  under  hollow  banks, 
■eddies  and  expansive  shady  reaches  in  the  meadow  brooks,  creeks  and 
canals.  i)referring  the  sides  of  the  stream  to  swift  currents,  and  sandy  and 
pebbly  rather  than  muddy  bottoms.  In  mill-])onds  they  are  likely  to  be 
found  in  the  deep  water  just  above  the  dam,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  ijiles 
of  locks,  bridges  and  sluice  gates.  They  sometimes  descend  into  the 
brackish  water  of  estuaries,  where  they  become  large  and  very  firm 
fleshed.  In  muddy  pools  they  often  assume  a  golden  color,  but  in  such 
situations  are  soft  and  rarely  well  flavored. 

"As  a  still-water  ])ond  fish,"  writes  Al)bott,  "  if  there  is  a  fair  supply 
of  si)ring-water,  they  thrive  excellently;  but  the  largest  specimens  come 
either  from  the  river  or  from  the  in-flowing  creeks.  Deep  water  of  the 
temperature  of  ordinary  spring-water,  with  some  current,  and  the  bed  of  a 
stream,  at  least  partially  covered  with  vegetation,  best  suits  this  fi.sh." 
They  are  gregarious,  and  there  is  an  Old-country  saying  that  when  the 
angler  meets  a  school  of  Perch  he  may  capture  every  one,  if  he  be  wary 
and  noiseless. 

"  Perch,  like  tlie  Tartar  clans,  in  troops  remove, 
And  urged  by  famine  or  by  pleasure  rove  ; 
But  if  one  prisoner,  as  in  war,  you  seize, 


TJfE  YliLLOW  J'r.RCir. 


Vun'Il  prosjur,  master  of  tlif  camp  with  tasi'  ; 
l-'or,  likf  till-  wicktil,  mialariucd  tlu-y  vii-w 
'I'lR-ir  Ullous  pcrisli,  and  tlu  ir  patli  pursue."* 

r)ay  tells  ustiiat  iiithc  famous  Norfolk  Broads  the  fish  asM.'iiiliic  in  shoals 
av'cording  to  their  sizes,  the  smaller  and  larger  individuals  keeping;  to 
themselves,  and  repelling  the  intrusion  of  those  that  materially  differ  from 
themselves  in  this  res])(.'(t.  The  writer  has  ol)served  a  similar  natural 
association  in  the  lakes  of  the  Hudson  and  Housatonif  basins.  In  winter 
they  retreat  to  the  deepest  parts  of  their  domain,  llere  they  ada]>t 
themselves  to  cin  umstam  es  ;  if  the  tem])erature  of  tiie  water  approxi- 
mates the  freezing  ])oint,  they  lieiome  torpid  ;  if  it  remains  above  ^.S"  or 
40°  !•".,  they  do  not  suffer  any  iuionvunience.  Dr.  Abl)ott  tound  a  large 
nmnber  of  them  in  December  and  January,  in  a  deep  hole  in  the  bed 
of  a  tide-water  creek,  about  half  an  acre  in  extent  and  tWL-nty  feet  deep; 
they  were  in  moderately  good  ( ondition,  active  and  in  high  color,  with 
empty  stomachs,  ancl  refusing  to  'i<ci^A,  a  habit  by  no  means  invariable, 
however,  at  this  season. 

As  s])ring  advances  they  assimie  their  ordinary  mode  of  life.  With  the 
warming  of  the  waters  the  eggs  begin  to  swell  in  the  ovaries,  the  colors 
brighten,  i)articularly  in  the  males,  anil  the  lower  jjarts  of  the  body  in 
both  sexes  assume  a  ruddy  hue.  Spawning  time  varies  in  different  locali- 
ties. It  is  of  course  largely  dependent  upon  the  temperature  of  the  water, 
though  the  requisite  standard  of  heat  most  jjrobably  changes  with  latitude. 
In  New  Jersey,  a*  (  ording  to  Abbott,  it  comes  in  May,  with  the  water  at 
55°  1''.,  and  in  Sweden,  iiy  Malm's  observations,  in  May,  also,  at  50°  I''.  In 
Virginia  and  Maryland  Perch  spawn  in  March  and  Ai)ril  ;  in  Fran:e  and 
Austria,  from  Man  h  to  May  ;  in  England  and  Sweden,  in  April  and  May. 
When  the  Marsh,  Marigold,  or  "  C'owsli]),"  Caltlia palustris,  blooms  in  the 
wet  meadows,  tlie  spawning  time  of  the  Pert  h  is  near  at  hand.  That 
Perch  si)awn  twice  in  the  year,  is  a  jjopular  belief  in  l-airojje.  This  idea 
must  have  originated  in  the  fact,  well  known  to  students  of  fish,  that  many 
individuals  retain  their  eggs  long  after  the  end  of  the  normal  spawning  time. 

Among  some  Pen  lies,  twenty  millimeters  long,  taken  late  in  September, 
1866,  in  the  Rliine,  a  French  naturalist  found  three  males  prepared 
for  breeding  as  well  as  a  female  with  ovaries  hardly  visible. 

The  proportion  of  males  to  females  varies  curiously  with  locality.  Out 
■of  one  hundred  taken  at  Salzburg  only  ten  were   males,  and  Cuvier  stated 


*0|)pi;ili's  Haliciitics 


A  ME  RICA  X  J'/SirP.S. 


tliat  till' |irf)|i()rtion  of  niak'swasasonc  to  fifty.  VonSicbold  found  one- tliird 
nuiks  at  Munich,  and  Manlcy  in  I'.nghind  onc-tcnth.  It  would  he  well 
worth  while  for  American  anj,ders  to  ( outinue  these  observations,  as  well 
as  to  make  some  new  counts  of  the  number  of  eg,L,'s.  'The  only  reliable 
re(  ent  eninnerations  ai)])ear  to  be  those  made  by  IJuckland  in  iS6S.  He 
found  iJ7,240  eLT^^s  in  a  I'ish  of  i  jjounds  ii  ounces,  and  155. 6jo  in  one 
of  _?  ])ounils  2  oimces.  I,.ue|iede  put  the  fiLfure  at  1,000,000,  lihx  h  at 
2S.000,  and  Abbott  at  S.ooo. 

The  eyys  are  t'rom  2  to  :;'.•  mm.  in  diameter,  or  about  as  laru'c  as 
]K)])])y  seeds.  They  ari'  of  the  ailhesi\e  (lass,  and  clin,i,"  together  in 
beautifully  interhu  ed  bands,  like  pearl  ne(  klaces.  five  or  si\  feet  lonj,' 
and  an  inch  or  luo  in  \\'idth.  'i'liese  j^lulinous  masses  adhere  totwi^rsand 
stones  in  shallow  water,  and  are  de\()ured  b\-  birds  and  all  kinds  of 
acjuatie  animals.  The  ei,^Ljs  be^dn  to  expand  soon  after  fertilization.  .\t 
a  temperature  of  39°,  F.  Malm  hatched  some  ej;>;s  in  four  days  and  nine 


hours;   at  the  end  of  a  week  or  ten   davs  after  the  eir 


rs  w 


ere  laid,  Abbott 


frecpiently  found  minute  Yellow  I'erch,  associated  with  little  Sun-fish, 
tangled  in  among  the  water  jilants.  active  as  their  strength  permitted,  and 
darting  voraciously  at  alnn)st  invisible  s])ecks.  that  seemed  to  serve  them 
for  food.  The  little  pcrclicitcs  grow  very  fast,  and  in  a  year  or  two  they 
have  reached  maturity.  ICdward  Jesse  observed  a  fish  three  inches  long 
which  was  full  of  si)awn. 

JV'rch  rarely  exceed  a  ])Ound  or  two  in  weight.  *•  L^ne  I'erche  de  deux 
kilogrammes  est  un  phenix  tres-rare."  says  1  )e  la  Blanchere.  Some  large 
ones  are  on  record.  An  individual  taken  in  Delaware  Tiay,  by  Abbott, 
weighed  four  and  one-cpiarter  ])oun(ls.  In  I'^ngland  three-pounders  are 
thought  large  ;  but  Pennant  mentions  one  of  nine  i)ounds,  taken  in  the 
Serptentine  in  Hyde  Park,  (liinther  puts  the  limit  at  four  jjounds,  but 
Seeley  states  that  in  Russia,  in  Lake  Seligher  they  reach  eight  pounds. 

The  artificial  i)ropagation  of  the  Perch  was  accomplished  as  early  as 
1S56  by  Malm,  a  Swedish  naturalist,  and  is  saiil  to  have  beeen  re])eated 
in  this  country.  ]\Iany  jtonds  have  been  stocked  with  grown  fish. 
Dr.  S.  T,.  Mitchill  transplanted  them  from  Ronkonkoma  Pond  in  Suffolk 
County  to  Success  Pond  in  Queens  County,  N.  Y.  The  species  is  very 
properly  excluded  from  waters  in  which  trout  and  carp  are  to  be  cultivated. 
It  is  said  that  poachers  often  revenge  their  grievances  by  stocking  trout 
ponds  with  Perch.  They  have  been  known  to  deposit  their  eggs  in 
aciuarium  tanks,  where,  with  care,  they  will  doubtless  hatch  their  young. 


THE   YELLOW  rEKCJL 


The  Saxons,  it  is  said.  r(.-prcscntt.'(l  one  df  tlu'ir  j^ods  st.iinliiiu'  \\\\.\\ 
naked  feet  on  the  Iuk  k  of  a  IVtc  li.  as  an  etnlileni  of  constancy  in  trial  and 
l)atience  in  adversity.  Witli  Ids  liristlini;  array  of  thorny  nn-s])ine>.  tlie 
I'erch  is  a  fair  type  of  sturdy  indepemlence.  a  Diogenes  of  the  hrooks  and 
ponds,  well  described  by  Drayton  in  his  "  I'()ylyol!)i()n  :" 

"Tile  Percli  witli  prirkiin.L;  Inis  aj^ainst  tiir  I'ike  preparM 
As  nature  had  thircoii  l)LSto\v'il  this  strunjjer  giiar<l 
His  tlaintiness  to  keep." 

The  angler  cannot  be  too  carefid  in  iiidiooking  thesi- spike-armed  heroes, 
for  tlie  armatinx'  of  the  I'lns  inflicts  wounds  paintiil  and  dit'ticult  to  heal. 

'I'hev  feeil  on  worms,  grubs,  insects  and  even  small  I'lshes  of  their  own 
species  and  are  voraciou>i  in  the  e\tremr,  ••In  feeding."  writes  Dr. 
Abbott,  "Yellow  I'erch  chase  small  minnows  in.^tead  of  waiting  for  a 
single  fish  to  come  near  enough  to  seize  by  a  single  clart  u])on  it.  ;is  the 
Pike  does.  They  are  not  rapid  in  their  movements,  but  seem  to  clart 
with  oi)en  mouth  at  several  mimiows.  as  though  trusting  to  c  ate  h  some 
one  of  the  number  they  i)ursue.'" 

They  are  pirates,  as  voracious  in  proportion  to  their  si/e  as  the  lilac  k 
13ass  and  the  I'ike. 

The  claims  of  this  fish  to  jiopular  favor  ha\e  lieen  strangely  oxerlookecl 
in  America,  owing  perlia])s  to  the  fact  that  anglers,  like  other  men.  ha\e 
their  specialties,  and  that  most  of  our  writers  upon  this  subject  ha\e  had 
hobbies  other  than  that  of  I'erch  fishing.  Surely  no  inhabitant  of  our 
brooks  and  ponds  has  higher  c  laims  on  the  sc-ore  of  beauty  than — 
"The  Perch  with  fins  ofTyrian  dye." 

Its  graceful  movements  and  beautiful  colors,  its  hardiness  and  intelli- 
gence makes  it  jjartic  ularly  desirable  for  aciuarium  culture.  In  the 
sunlight  the  scales  reflect  tlelicate  hues  and  golden  glints  whic  h  are 
deliciously  tempered  by  the  dusky  bands  upon  the  sides  and  the  ruddy 
tones  of  the  quivering  fins,  which  have  been  well  compared  to  the  reds 
sometimes  to  be  seen  in  the  glass  of  \ery  old  c  hurc  h  v.indows. 

Its  rank  as  a  game  fish  is  thus  estimated  by  j.  I'.  AVheeldon,  angling 
itCi\\.ox  oi  Bcir s  Life:  "A  gloriously  handsome  llsh.  the  I'erch,  when  in 
condition  affords  excellent  sport,  and  is  a  deserved  favorite  with  each  and 
every  fisherman,  be  he  young  or  old."  It  is  mentioned  as  a  fiivorite  in 
the  first  of  all  treatises  on  angling — that  i^rinted  in  Antwerp  in  1492, — and 
iseulogizedby  scores  of  later  EuroiK'an  authorities,  as  well  as  in  the  ••Com- 
Dlete  Angler:" 


I 


AMJCK/CAX  J/SJfJ-:S. 


"  I  pray  ymi.  sir."  saiil  Xiatur.  ••},mvc  nic  souk-  olisirvations  and  din-c- 
tions  <(.n(i'rniiiK  the  /Vv/v//.  for  tlicy  say  he  is  Ik.iIi  a  vi-ry  j,'()otl  and  a 
lH.ld-l)itiniL;  lish.  and  1  would  fain   Icarnc  to  fish  for  Idni." 

Although  Norris  and  S( ott  an<l  Rooscvi'lt  an<l  I'ori'sur  pass  llic  I'cn  h 
liv  with  <(>ntcnii.t.  and  Jordan  lias  ])ronoiin(  I'd  it  ••soft.  ( oarsc  and 
insii)i<l."  it  is  not  without  its  advo(  atts  in  Aincri(  a.  Stth  (lri't.'n  a«hnits 
that  it  is  an  ••  (.'xi  client  fish  for  the  people."  and  a  "superior  table  fish." 
and  that  when  t.iken  on  li^dit  tackle  with  an  artificial  lly  it  affords  not  a 
little  sport.'"  and  11.  II.  Thompson,  in  the  Aiiirr/,;iii  Ani^/rr  Un  ]\\wc  2. 
1883,  has  inaile  an  elo<iuent  plea  for  this  worthy  little  spci  ies.  in  whu  h 
he  is  supported  by  such  eminent  anglers  as  I).  \V.  Cross  and  A.  N.  Cheney. 

I  venture  the  prediction  that  before  many  years  the  I'erc  h  will  have  as 
many  followers  as  the  lilack  Bass  among  those  who  fisli  for  pleasure  in  the 
waters  t^f  the  I'lastern  United  States.  A  fish  for  the  i)eople  it  is,  we 
will  grant,  and  it  is  the  anglers  from  among  the  people,  who  have  neither 
time,  money  nor  i)atience  for  long  trips  and  complicated  tackle,  who  will 
prove  its  steadfast  friends. 

As  an  article  of  food  a  Perch  taken  from  dear,  (ool  water  is  undoubtedly 
superior  to  manv  popuilar  marine  species.  Ray  tells  us  that  it  was  lormerly 
called  JW</r/x  ,r,//n/n////—l\\^i  partridge  of  the  waters,  and  Ausonius  thus 
sounds   its   ])raise  :  — 

••Xorwill  I  pass  thee  over  in  silence,  ()  IVn  h,  the  delicacy  of  the 
tables,  worthy  among  river  fish  to  be  compareil  with  seafish  ;  thou  alone 
arc  able  to  contend  with  the  Red  Mullets."! 

In  Venner's  ••  Via  Recta  ad  Vitam  Longam  "  printed  in  ir)5o.  we  are 
told  that  Perch  taken  in  pure  water  are  for  taste  and  nourishment 
equal  to  Trout  or  Pickerel.  ••  Perch,"  adds  this  writer,  "is  usually 
sauced  with  butter  or  vinegar,  but  add  thereto  the  llavor  of  nutmeg, 
which  to  this  fish  is  very  proper,  it  becomes  delectable  to  the  taste  and 
grateful  to  the  stomach.  The  spawn  of  Perch  is  of  delicate  and  whole- 
some nourishment,  very  good  for  the  weak." 

A  recent  British  authority  writes  that  it  is  unsurpassed  by  any  non- 
migrating  species,  except  the  eel,  and  that  it  more  closely  resembles  the 
sole  than  any  other  fresh-water  fish. 

There  are  in  America  many  who  jjrefer  the  Perch  to  the  bass,  and  even 
to    the   brook  trout,  and  among  them  are  some  independent  enough  to 


*Aii!cricnii  .liii^lfr,  May  15,  1886. 
t'lho  Moselle,  X,  115. 


Tin:  vi-iiow  ri:Rcir. 


say  so.  I'r.iiik  r>ii(kl.mil  writi's:  ••()ur  tViriKl,  tlic  iVrc  h.  !•>  (Hk- dl"  tlu' 
iiKist  ln-'aiitilul  t'i>.li  wliii  I)  it  has  jiUmmiI  I'rov  iiU'iu  i'  to  \\m  v  iii  our  w.itiTs. 
Not  ((Illy  (lots  lu- aH'oid  the  ati,L;l(.'r  cmcIK  ut  sport,  Init  to  the  jirolVsM'tl 
( ook  his  arrival  in  tiiiu'  tor  the  iiichk  is  most  wrhoiiu'.  a^  \vitiu'>s  watrr 
soiichc,  us  served  at  miiiistirial  (limui^.  (  it\  liaiuiiKts  or  jiriv  ati- parties  at 
Ri(  hmoiul  ami  ('irccinvic  h.'""' 

'I'he  simplest  way  to  cattli  i'erc  h  is  with  the  l)oy's  standard  oiitlit  :  a 
"pole,"  a  stout  line,  a  lar,L;e  iloat  and  hei\y  sinkerand  a  worm  or  minnow 
for  bait.  'I'his  is  etVective  when  tlie  water  is  muddy  iind  the  Penh  are 
numerous  and  hungry. 

I'or  wary  lish  in  (  learer  water  more  de!i<ate  ta<  kle  is  necessary. 
The  line  should  be  fine,  and  a  simple  reel  ma\  be  used:  the  lloat  should 
be  small  and  well  balam  ed.  and  the  shot  used  for  sinkers  only  ht-avy 
enough  to  keep  the  lloat  steady.  'The  lloat  should  be  adjusted  so  that  the 
bait  maybe  suspended  about  ,i  foot  from  the  bottom,  and  a  gentle  moti(jn 
upwards  and  downwanls  may  advanta,;eously  be  emploxed. 

A  favorite  Ljear  for  IVrc  h  in  I'.nulaiiil  and  I'ram  e  is  the  "paternoster." 
This  name  was  always  a  pu/zle  to  me  until  I  saw  the  ai)paratiis  in  its 
I'renc  h  form,  when  its  oriL,dn  was  at  once  intelligible.  The  gutta-pen  h.i 
bea<ls  and  roinid  sinkers  of  wood  and  lead  suggested  at  once  a  rosary.  'I'he 
pater-noster  used  in  I'.ngland  at  the  present  ilay  is  much  more  simi)le.  It 
is  thus  described  by  Iram  is  I'raiK  is: 

"  For  I'erch  fishing  the  jiater-noster  simjjly  consists  of  a  line  of  gut 
about  4  or  5  feet  long;  at  the  bottom  of  this  is  a  leaden  bullet  or  plummet 
to  sink  it  to  the  bottom  ;   about  6  or  S  inches  above  this  a  hook  on  some 

Mtir   sniicliu,  siiticliy  or  siikcy,  iloL's  not   socm   to  liavu   l)ocn 


8 


AMERICAN  FISJIES. 


6  inches  of  gut  is  fastened;  a  foot  above  this  another  hook  is  fixed  on, 
and  a  foot  above  that  again  a  third.  This  third  hook  is  often  a  gini])- 
hook  when  pike  and  Perch  are  found  in  common,  so  that  if  a  pike  should 
come  to  the  bait  there  maybe  a  fair  chance  of  capturing  him.  A  minnow 
l)eing  hooked  through  the  Hps  on  each  of  the  other  hooks,  the  tackle  is 
dropped  into  an  eddy  where  Perch  is  sujiposeil  to  be,  and  the  three  baits 
swim  round  and  round  the  main  line ;  so  that,  no  matter  whether  the  fish 
are  resting  at  the  bottom  or  searching  for  their  prey  in  mid  water,  they 
may  be  attracted.  As  soon  as  there  is  a  bite  from  a  Perch  the  angler 
feels  it  at  the  rod  point,  slackens  line  for  two  seconds  to  let  the  fish  get 
the  minnow  well  into  his  mouth,  and  then  strikes.  Should  the  immediate 
neighborhood  not  afford  a  bite  the  tackle  is  cast  to  a  distance,  and  after 
being  allowed  to  rest  for  a  minute  it  is  drawn  in  a  few  feet,  when  another 
cast  is  made  and  then  another  draw,  until  the  tackle  is  worked  uj)  on  the 
boat  or  the  bank.  In  the  winter,  after  the  floods,  very  many  Percli  are 
caught  in  this  way  on  tlie  Thames,  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred  in  a 
day  being  not  very  uncommonly  taken." 

Pater-nostering  is  said  to  require  much  skill,  but  this  method  is  surely 
worthy  of  more  general  use  in  America.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  i)referal)le  ti- 
hook  the  bait  though  the  dorsal  fin,  or  to  use  a  '•  tail-hook"  to  avoid  the 
risk  of  losing  the  minnow  without  gaining  the  Perch. 

The  French  gear  is  more  complicated  than  the  English,  the  hooks  bein^:^ 
attached  to  long  bristles,  which  are  tied  to  beads  of  wood,  rubber  orirt)n, 
kept  in  i)lace  upon  the  line  by  means  of  split  shot.  The  useof  sup])lcmentarv 
floats,  or  "postillions,"  is  recommended  to  k'.'ep  the  line  from  sinking. 
This  ap])aratus  is  very  heavy,  and  is  more  of  the  nature  of  a  set  line 
than  of  an  angler's  apparatus. 

The  "ledger"  is  anotlier  method  sometimes  employed  in  Perch  fishing, 
especially  in  rapidly  running  streams,  where  it  is  not  convenient  to  use  a 
float. 

"This,"  says  Francis,  "consists  of  a  gut  line  a  yard  or  two  long,  run 
through  a  bullet  or  lump  of  lead  i)ierced  with  a  round  hole.  On  the  hook 
side  of  the  lin^'  an  obstruction  is  fastened,  so  that  the  lead  cannot  slip 
down  to  the  hook,  but  the  line  is  free  on  the  rod  side  of  the  lead,  the 
lead  is  dropped  into  the  water  and  rests  on  the  bottom,  a  tight  line 
between  the  rod  top  and  the  lead  being  kept.  The  instant  a  fish  bites  at 
the  hook,  the  line  being  free  in  that  direction,  it  is  felt  at  the  rod  to]), 
and  the  angler,  yielding  a  little  line  to  let  the  fish  get  the  bait  and  hook 
well  in  his  mouth,  strikes,  lifting  the  lead  and  hooks  the  fish." 

In  France  are  employed  various   rio'lifications  of  the   ledger,  some  of 


THE   YEL  LOW  PER  CJf. 


them,  especially  the //<.•// /^•ri'//A\t,'-<7/'.v  in  its  different  forms,  \ery  complicated, 
and  hardly  to  be  recommended  for  use  in  America. 

The  Perch,  it  is  saiil,  will  al "o  rise  to  an  artifi<  ial  bait,  or  to  a  lly, 
natural  or  artificial,  especially  at  the  end  of  spring,  when  the  Mphemeras 
are  abundant  and  they  arc  preying  upon  surface  life.  Some  authorities 
say  that  a  gray  lly  is  jireferable  ;  others  that  there  is  nothing  ecpial  to  a 
red  hackle.  An  imitation  of  the  insect  upon  which  they  are  known  to  be 
feeding  at  the  time,  or  better  still,  tlie  natural  insc(  t,  will  undoubtedly 
be  the  most  effective  bait.  In  lly-fishing  for  Perch  a  strong  trout  rod,  or 
light  bass  rod  may  be  used.  The  leader  siiould  be  of  gut,  and  may  ad- 
vantageously be  rendereil  inconspicuous  by  staining  a  deep  ])lue  or  reddish 
brown — so  say  the  experts. 

The  flavor  of  the  Perch  is  said  to  be  finest  when  they  are  t"ull  of  s])awn 
and  milt,  but  directly  after  sitawning  for  two  or  three  weeks.  althouLdi 
at  this  time  they  bite  ravenously,  their  flesh  is  often  soft  and  waterv. 
Tliev  are  active  and  voracious  throughout  the  siuumer,  but  in  the  fall 
months  are  more  wary  and  reiiuire  tiic  exercise  of  the  auLder's  hi>diest 
art.  Walton  observed  that,  though  abstemious  in  winter,  thev  wotdd  bite 
at  the  middle  of  the  day  even  then,  if  it  were  warm.  Many  Perch  are 
taken  by  fishing  through  the  ice  on  the  northern  lakes. 

This,  the  only  ijcculiarly  American  metliod  of  Perch  fishing,  is  well 
described  by  IMr.  A,  X.  Cheney,  of  (lien's  Falls,  \.  V.: 

"The  Perch  retire  to  deej)  water  with  a  bottom  of  fine  grass  as  cold 
weather  ajiproaches,  and  there  they  are  found  in  I'cbruarv  and  Marc  h, 
wliich  is  the  time  h)r  ice  lisliing.  Tlie  tools  retiuired  are  an  i(  e  (  liisel 
for  cutting  the  holes,  a  hand-line  and  sinker,  fixed  with  a  '  sjireader,' 
and  snells,  and  though  it  does  not  come  under  the  head  of  tools,  a  fire. 
The  'spreader'  is  a  piece  of  brass  wire  about  a  foot  long,  turned  with 
a  i)air  of  i)liers  to  form  an  eye  in  tiie  middle,  to  attach  the  line,  and  an 
eye  in -each  end  to  fasten  the  snells.  Spreaders  may  be  obtained  at  the 
tackle  shops,  that  have  a  swi\cl  in  the  middle  of  tJie  wire,  and  under- 
neath it  an  eye  so  that  three  snells  may  be  used.  The  bait  is  the  small 
white  grul),  most  easily  found  in  dead  and  jiartly  rotted  second-growth 
pine  trees  or  logs,  from  whicli  they  liave  to  be  cut  out  with  an  ax.  The 
man  who  catches  Perch  for  market  does  not  trouble  himself  to  pro\  ide 
more  than  two  or  three  grubs,  for  as  soon  as  he  catches  one  tlsh  he  lias 
two  baits.  It  seems  cruel,  however,  to  tear  the  eyes  out  of  a  lish  that  has 
scarcely  ceased  to  (piivcr,  and  1  could  never  bring  myself  to  do  it  liius 
hastily.  When  the  spreader  is  tlirown  througli  the  hole  cut  in  the  ice, 
there  is  nothing  to  ilo  but   to  wait  for  a  bite.      If  a  Perch  takes  one  bite 


lO 


AMERICAy  FISHES. 


the  matter  is  settled,  and  it  is  only  necessary  to  bait  and  lower  the  hooks, 
for  each  time  without  fail  there  will  be  a  fish  brought  up  for  each  hook 
baited.* 

To  the  words  of  instruction  and  advice  already  written,  I  would  add  a 
sentence  of  warning  to  him  who  angles  for  Perch.  Do  not  yield  too  un- 
reservedly to  the  fascination  of  the  pastime.  Remember  the  unfortunate 
angler  in  Bulwer's  "My  Novel." 

"  Young  man,  listen  I  "  said  lUirley.  ■'  When  I  was  about  your  age,  I 
first  came  to  this  stream  to  fish.  Sir,  on  that  fatal  day,  about  3  P.  M.,  I 
hooked  up  a  fish — such  a  big  one,  it  must  have  weighed  a  pound-and-a-half. 
And  just  when  I  had  got  it  nearly  ashore,  the  line  broke,  and  tlie  Perch 
twisted  himself  among  those  roots  and — cacodivmon  that  he  was — ran  off, 
hook  and  all.  Well,  that  fish  haunted  me  ;  never  before  liad  I  seen  such 
a  fish.  Minnows  1  had  (  aught,  also  gudgeons,  and  occasionally  a  dace. 
P>ut  a  fish  like  that — a  PERCH — all  his  fins  up,  like  the  sails  of  a  man-of- 
war — -a  monster  Perch, — a  wliale  of  a  Perch  I — Xo,  never  till  then  had  I 
known  what  leviathans  lie  hid  within  the  deeps.  I  could  not  sleep  till  I 
had  returned  ;  and  again,  sir — I  caught  that  Perch.  And  this  time  I 
pulled  him  fairly  out  of  the  water.  He  escaped  ;  and  how  did  he  escape^ 
Sir.  he  left  his  eye  behind  him  on  the  hook.  *  *  *  I  gazed  at  that  eve, 
and  the  eye  looked  as  sly  and  wicked  as  if  it  was  laughing  in  my  face. 
Well,  sir,  I  had  heard  there  is  no  better  luiit  for  a  Perch  than  a  Perch's  eve. 
I  adjusted  that  eye  on  the  hook  and  dropped  in  the  line  gently.  In  two 
minutes  1  saw  that  Perch  return.  Me  approached  the  hook  ;  he  recognized 
his  eye, — tVisked  his  tail, — made  a  plunge — and,  as  I  live,  carried  off  the 
eye,  and  I  saw  him  digesting  it  by  the  side  of  that  water  lily.  The  mock- 
ing fiend  !  Seven  times  since  that  day  in  the  course  of  a  varied  and  event- 
ful lite,  have  I  caught  that  Perch,  and  seven  times  has  that  Perch  escaped. 

*  *  *■  (lood  Heavens!  If  a  man  knew  what  it  was  to  fish  all  one's 
life  in  a  stream  tliat  has  only  one  Fen  h,  to  catch  that  Perch  nine  times 
in  all  and  to  see  it  fall  back  into  the  water,  plump.  Why  then,  young  sir, 
he  would  know  what  human  life  is  to  vain  ambition." 


.lini-rhaii  .liii;/,-'-,  Marcli  14,  iSS'. 


^.^Tf^rr"" 


vV-.  ••.:'< 


TIIK  SAUOKU. 


THE  PIKE-PERCHES. 

Stizosfcd/on  vHrctim  and  S.  cauadciisc 


■■•^-■^iii;ii.ii.riiiiiir;i....'^'^^'^Vy    \.-'t.v 


^  j\:j':sf 


The  surest  way 
T'l  take  tlie  fi^li,  is  j;ive  lior  leave  to  play, 
Ami  yii.Ul  her  line. 

(IfAKLES,  Slicpluiird'  <:   F.t/,xiii's,   ibfj. 


npHE  Pikc-Pcrches  have  l)Ocn  known  to  the  inhabitants  ot"  Clontincntal 
I'urope  for  many  (  cnturics,  and  on  account  of  their  eh^ngatcil  form 
and  large  teeth  were  dest  rihed  by  (lesner  and  other  me(U;v;val  naturalists 
under  the  name  Luciopcrca — a  name  intended  to  describe  their  general  ap- 
pearance, since  their  proportions  resemble  those  of  the  pikes,  while  their 
structure  resembles  that  of  the  ])erch,  to  which  they  are  closely  allied. 

I.innii^us  in  his  ichthyolo^ical  system,  named  the  Scandinavian  species 
Pcrca  Litciopcrcii,  and  placed  it  in  the  same  genus  with  the  jierch,  where 
it  remained  until  the  time  of  Cuvier  and  Rafinescpie.  The  former  set  aside 
thisgroupof  fishes  in  1S17,  under  the  group  name  of  "  Les  Sandrcs."  but  ne- 
glected to  formally  jjropose  the  genus  named  T.uciopcrca,  until  the  publi- 
cation of  the  second  edition  of  his  "Animal  Kingdom"  in  1829.  In  the 
meantime  the  Sicilian  explorer.  Rafinesque,  had  published  in  1820,  his 
"  Ohio  Ichthyology."  andnnned  the  U^hS/izosfcdioit,  anai)pellation  which, 
however  meaningless  and  cacophonous,  priority  requires  shall  always  be 
borne  by  the  Pike- Perches.  American  ichthyologists  have  already  submitted 
this  necessitv,  but  th.ose  of  the  old  world  still  cling  to  the  venerable  and 
euphonious  Luciopfrca. 

The  Pike-Perches  are  distributed  throughout  the  waters  of  the  northern 
hemispheres   in   much   the  same  manner  as  the  perch,  though  absent  from 


12 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


W 


certain  areas  within  the  limits  of  its  range.  The  British  Isles,  France, 
the  Rhine  valley  and  Switzerland,  New  lOngland  and  the  South  Atlantic 
states,  arc  without  it,  and  its  distribution  in  Asiatic  Russia  is  more  restricted 
than  that  of  Pcrca. 

This  form  is  more  subject  to  variation  than  the  Perch,  and  i)robably  a 
niDre  recent  product  of  evolution,  and  it  has  become  differentiated  into  seve- 
ral fairly  well-marked  types. 

The  North  American  species  may  be  divided  intcj  two  groujis  :  (i)  the 
typical  form,  most  closely  related  to  those  of  Euroi)e,  ami  (2)  the  form 
with  small  eyes,  slender  body,  pointed  head,  smaller  second  dorsal  and 
with  pyloric   creca  set  aside  by  (iill  and  Jordan  in  the  sul)genus  C\iiopei\-a. 

In  the  latter  category  is  placed  S.  canadcnsr,  having  its  spinous  dorsal  fin 
ornamented  with  two  or  three  rows  of  round  black  spots,  and  without  a  blotch 
])6steriorly,  but  with  a  dark  patch  at  the  base  of  each  pectoral  :  within 
the  limits  of  this  species,  Jordan  recognizes  three  varieties  or  subspecies 
which  intergrade  to  some  extent,  but  which  by  old-school  naturalists  would 
have  been  regarded  as  valid  s])ecies.  The  first  of  these  is  the  Sanger  or 
Pickering  of  the  St.  Lawrence  region,  S.  caiiadcnsc  canaJciisc,  with 
the  opercles  and  bones  of  the  head  considerably  rougher,  the  number  or 
opercular  spines,  (wliich  are  merely  the  free  ends  of  the  striiv;),  increased, 
ar;i  the  head  more  closely  and  extensively  scaly. 

The  second  is  llie  common  Sand  I'ike,  or  Sanger,  of  the  (Ireat 
Lakes,  S.  laiutdoisc  i::;riscum,  the  Liiciopcrca  ^^risea  of  DeKay's  "  New  York 
Fauna,"  and  many  other  ichthyologies.  'J'his  form  is  now  ])lentifiil  in  the 
Ohio  River  into  which  it  is  supposed  to  have  made  its  way  since  the  con- 
struction of  the  Ohio  and  Erie  Canal. 

The  third  is  the  Sand  Pike  of  the  upper  Missouri,  .S'.  canadciisc  borcuiii, 
which  is  rather  slenderer  than  that  of  the  Great  Lakes,  having  a  long 
slender  nose  and  a  head  more  fiattened  and  snake-like. 

A  certain  type  of  coloration  is  characteristic  of  X  caiiadcnsc  in  all  its 
forms,  and  it  has  fewer  rays  in  the  second  dorsal  fin,  there  being  only  i<S, 
more  scaly  cheeks,  a  more  ])rominent  armature  of  the  operculum  and  most 
significant  of  all,  the  ])yloric  cccca  are  small  and  unecpial  in  length  and 
are  never  less  than  four  in  number,  and  sometimes  as  many  as  seven.  In  the 
other  American  species  these  number  only  three,  and  are  nearly  ec|ual  in 
length  and  about  as  long  as  the  stomach.  Whoever  wishes  to  identify  our 
Pike-Perches  accurately  must  not  /ail  to  dissect  them  and  examine  this  fea- 
ture of  internal  structure. 


/•///•;  riKE  rKRCHKs. 


13 


The  largest  and  most  important  form  is  Stizostciiioii  vitrntin,  generally 
referred  to  by  recent  writers  upon  fishes  as  the  Wall-eyeil  Tike.  This 
well-known  speeies  is  ft)und  in  nearly  ail  the  water  systems  frecpiented 
by  S.  canaih'iisc,  and  in  many  others,  its  geogra])lii('al  range  being  mnc  h 
more  extended,  it  inhabits  the  (Ireat  Lakes  and  their  continents,*  and  oc- 
ciu's  in  most  of  the  little  lakes  of  Western  New  York, — Cayuga,  Seneca, 
Chatau(|ua,  Oneida  and  many  others.  It  ranges  north  to  the  fur  coimtries, 
and  is  doubtless  widely  distributed  through  IJritish  America.  It  is  found 
in  the  Susquehanna  and  the  Juniata,  in  the  ( )iiio  River,  and  many  oi  its 
tributaries,  in  Western  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  in  Kentucky,  in  Ro(  k 
Castle  River  and  elsewhere  in  Tennessee,  especially  in  the  French  IJroad 
and  at  least  as  far  south  as  Memphis,  in  Ceorgia  in  the  Oostanaula  ri\er 
and  it   is  said,  in  Arkansas.      Its  range  to  the  south  and  southwest  deserves 


careful  investii^ation. 


Till-:  WAi.i,  Kvi;.    s.  vrruKiM. 

Jordan  recognizes  twosubs])ecies  oiStizflstcdionvitrcuin — the  typical  form 
^9.  vitrcumvitrcum,  andasmaller,  heavier  bodied  form  which  is  bluer  in  c  olor 
and  is  generally  known  as  the  Blue  I'ike,  ^S".  vitrciim  salmoiicuin.  This,  he 
states,  is  a  local  variety  in  Ohio  and  southward.  It  has  been  considered  a 
distinct  species  by  many  naturalists  since  the  days  of  Rafinescjue. 

The  geographical  range  as  well  as  the  classification  of  the  American 
Pike-Perches,  as  the  reader  must  have  inferred  from  what  has  been  said 
about  them  in  these  pages,  need  to  be  studied  much  more  exhaustively  before 
a  satisfactory  essay  can  be  written  ujjon  them.  Their  habits  are  very  ini- 
])erfectly  understood,  and  it  will  be  necessary  to  refer  to  what  is  known  of 
their  kindred  in  Europe,  in  order  to  give  even  a  partial  idea  of  their  life- 
history. 

In  the  Old  World,   as  in  the  New,  there  are  two  well  marked  species, 

*A  specimen  w.is  taken  in  April,  1887,  in  the  Connecticut  river  at  Portland,  as  recorded  by  Professor  Wil- 
liam North  Kice. 


I  I 


M'i 


M 


IMKRJCAN  FISHES. 


the  Zander,  or  Schill,  .S".  luciopcrca  (L),*  and  the  IJerschick,  or  Sekrct, 
S.  7'<>/i;;t'//s/s,  (Pallas),  the  former  distributed  through  a  large  i)art  of 
Northern,  ICastern  and  Central  Europe,  the  latter,  in  the  south  of  Russia, 
especially  in  the  Dniester  and  the  ^'olga. 

The  jjopular  nomenclature  of  the  various  American  forms  is  in  a  most 
perplexing  state. 

In  the  upper  lakes  where  the  true  Pike,  Esox  liiciiis  is  known  as  the 
pickerel,  Stizostcdionvitnuin  is  called  the  "Pike,"  with  such  local  variations 
as  "151ue  Pike,"  "Yellow  Pike,"  "(Ireen  Pike"  and   "Grass  Pike." 

In  Ohio,  Tennessee  and  western  North  Carolina,  it  robs -Cfru- of  another 
of  its  names,  and  is  called  "  Jack."  In  Lake  Erie,  however,  it  is  generally 
known  as  the  "Pickerel." 

The  name  "Salmon,"  is  quite  generally  apj)lied  in  rivers  where  no  mem- 
ber of  the  family  Salmonidcc  is  found.  This  is  notably  the  fact  in  the 
tributaries  of  the  Mississippi  and  Ohio,  and  in  the  Suscjuehanna  :  hundreds 
of  cases  of  the  capture  of  salmon,  supposed  to  have  developed  from  fry 
planted  by  the  fish  commissioners,  have  been  reported  in  the  newspapers  dur- 
ing the  past  ten  years,  and  almost  always,  when  the  matter  has  been  in\es- 
tigated,  a  Pike  Perch  has  been  found  the  innocent  cause  of  the  false  rej^ort. 
"  \\'hite  Salmon"  is  a  local  name  at  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  ;  "Jack  Salmon" 
is  another  bad  name.  "  Okow,"  sometimes  heard  in  the  lake  region  is  evi- 
dently a  corruption  of  "  Okun  "  and  *'  Okunj,"  Polish  and  Russian  names  tor 
the  common  perch,  introduced  by  immigrants.  The  French  Canadians  on 
the  lakes  call  it  "  Doree,"  and  "Dory"  is  a  name  which  has  found  its 
way  into  the  books. 

"Glass  eye"  and  "Wall-eyed  Pike"  are  names  peculiar  to  this  sj)ecies. 
and  the  former  has  been  ])erpetuated  in  the  s])ecific  name  vitrcum.  The 
name  "Wall-eyed  Pike"  is  coming  into  favor,  and  has  already  replaced 
some  of  the  misnomers  long  prevalent.  On  the  Susquehanna,  for  instance, 
it  is  rapidly  taking  the  place  of  ••  Salmon."  If  it  must  be  used,  "  Wall-eye  " 
is  of  course  to  be  ])referreil  to  the  misleading  "Wall-eyed  Pike."  To  me 
it  seems  a  most  repulsive  and  undesirable  name,  but  others  find  it  ai)])ro- 
l)riate.  Listen  to  an  ardent  admirer: — "Look  at  this  beautiful  fish  1  as 
symmetrical  in  form  as  the  salmon.  Not  a  fault  in  his  make-up,  not  a 
r.cale  disturbed,  every  fin  perfect,  tail  clean  cut,  and  his  great  big  wall-eyes 
stand  out  with  that  life-like  glare  so  characteristic  of  the  fish." 

*  /.under,  Zant,  S.and,r,  Sannat,  ami  Sanduft  in  Northern  Germany,,(w(i«/,  Kngciiiaul ,  Schicl,  Scliill  ami 
Fos^osch  in  Si)iitlicrn  Germany,  Sander  and  Sandel  in  Austria,  Sandre  or  Sandat  in  France,  Sandiirt  m 
Denmark,  Gi>es  in  SwcJen,  GJorJ  in  Norway,  Siidak  in  Russia,  Sterkas  in  Lithuania,  Sendacz  in  Poland  , 
^'.(//oand  hostis  in  Hungary. 


THE  J'IKE  PERCHES. 


15 


The  phrase  "  Wall-c}L'<l "  is  good  oM  English  to  l>c  sure,  hut  it  brings 
to  mind  the  invective  of  I.ueius  reviling  the  (loth  in  Titus  Antlronicus  : 

"Say,  wall-eyed  slave,  whitinr  wouhlst   tiiou  coiniy 
Tills  gruwiny:  iniajje  of  thy  fiend-likc  face."  * 

Jf  "  ^^■all-eye  "  is  to  be  the  name  of  ^V.  griscum  it  is  evident  that  "  San- 
ger "  must  be  tliat  of  the  other  species,  for  it  is  not  claimed  by  any  other 
fish,  and  is  probably  of  Indian  origin,  whi(  h  is  a  recommendation.  .V. 
canacU'iisc  is  also  called  in  various  lo(  alities  "  Pickering,"  "  Pi'  kerel," 
"Horse-fish,"  ''Gray-pike"  and  "  (lround-]iike." 

'J'he  Pike-Perches  resemble  the  yellow  perch  in  their  habits,  but  though 
e(|ually  vivacious  are  usually  less  sprightly  and  jnignacious,  especially  when 
inhabiting  (juiet  waters.  The  Swedes  ha\e  a  jiroverb — "  As  stupid  as  a  Pike- 
Pert  h  " — not  jjarticularly  ai)plicable  to  our  American  spe(  ies. 

Their  greater  size  debars  tiieir  occujtancy  of  the  creeks  and  jiools  in  whi(  h 
jierch  so  often  congregate,  and  it  is  said  that  they  are  rarely  found  on  bot- 
toms of  clay  or  mud.  In  lakes  they  retire  to  waters  of  considerable  depth, 
but  in  running  streams  are  partial  to  rapids,  and  whirling  pools  among  the 
rocks.  In  Lake  Pepin,  according  to  Dr.  lOstes,  they  seek  out  the  purest 
water,  and  their  favorite  feeding  grounds  are  at  the  ends  t)f  jjrojecting 
points  where  the  bottom  has  been  washed  clear  by  the  waves,  and  at  the 
mouths  of  streams  where  the  current  breaks  into  the  still  waters  of  the  lake. 
They  delight  to  run  u])  the  larger  streams  until  they  encounter  an  impassa- 
ble fall  or  dam,  and  in  rivers  where  there  are  no  falls  they  fre(iuent  deep  roll- 
ing foot-pools,  or  deep  dark  holes,  where  the  current  is  strong  under  old  logs 
or  drift  i)iles.  At  the  foot  of  Lake  Pej^n,  just  at  the  ])oint  where  the  still 
water  of  the  lake  begins  to  flow  into  the  river,  thev  are  found  in  great  num- 
bers,  associated  with  the  blackdiass  and  the  stri])ed  lake-bass.  At  the 
junction  of  the  Chippewa  A\ith  tlie  Mississippi  is  another  great  feeding 
grounds  where  the  Pike-Per(  lies  are  especially  al)iindant  under  the  great 
rafts  of  himlier  and  accumulation  of  logs  Avhich  are  always  there  in  summer. 
Concerning  their  association,  Dr.  Pastes  writes:  ■'  In  these  waters  the  A\'all- 
eye  f  is  seldom  found  associated  with  any  other  fish  than  the  sar.d-pike."  J 
It  is  true,  however,  that  in  swift-rolling  waters.  espe(  ially  under  falls  we  find 
him  in  company  with  the  black-bass,  but  I  believe  that  the  ton  e  of  the 
fall  and  the  tumbling  waters  in  a  measure  destroy  the  ])Ugilistic  nature  of 
theba.ss,  or  he  would  not  suffer  the  wall-eye  to  remain  in  his  ccmjianv.      In 

*  Titus  A:tdronictis,     Act  v,  Scene  1. 

\S.  vitrcuiii.  X^-  I'liiitcfcus,'  hori-uiii ;  tliis  f 'rin  was  lumiccl  Lticiopci-ia p.piinis  I'v  Dr.  K.stcs. 


i6 


AMERJCAiY  FISHES, 


other    locations    tlie    bass    easily    drives    the  wall-eye  from  his  feeding 
grounds." 


Till',  z AsnER.    .v.  i.vnorv.niw. 

They  feed  upon  every  kind  of  small  fish,  and  do  not  even  sjiare  their  own 
offspring;.  In  the  sea-i^oiiv^  rivers  of  (lermany  they  ]irey  largely  upon  the 
smelt,  and  in  our  own  waters  u])on  the  various  small  cyprinoids.  Insects, 
larviv;,  ('rawfish  and  worms  are  also  devoured  in  great  numbers,  and  even 
Irogs  and  snakes. 

Their  eggs  are  from  i  to  I'j  millimeters  in  diameter,  and  light  golden 
yellow  in  color,  and  are  adhesive  like  those  of  the  sea-herring,  clinging 
to  stones,  roots  and  the  stalks  of  water  jilants  where  they  are  deposited  at 
a  depth  of  from  three  to  ten  feet.  They  begin  to  spawn  when  less  than 
a  ])()und  in  weight,  and  eacli  female  deposits  from  two  to  three  hundred 
thousand  ova.  This  great  fertility  is  serviceable,  for  no  fresh  water  species  is 
more  subject  to  the  fatalities  incident  to  the  spawning  season.  After  storms 
the  shores  of  lakes  are  said  to  be  often  bordered  by  windrows  of  the  stranded 
ova  of  the  Pike-Perch.  Dr.  Kstes  well  describes  the  destructive  inroads  ot 
sturgeon,  cat-fish  and  suckers  upon  the  spawning  beds  in  Lake  Pejiin.  He 
estimates  that  not  one-fourth  of  the  eggs  remain  to  be  hatched. 

AVenzel  Horac.k,  who  has  studied  tlie  habits  of  tlie  Zander  in  Southern 
Bohemia,  finds  that  the  time  of  spawning  is  so  intimately  connected  with 
the  temperature  of  the  water  and  the  air  that  it  sometimes  begins  in  March, 
though  it  usually  occurs  in  April  and  May;  the  season  of  oviposition  con- 
tinues through  the  summer  and  into  October.  In  the  north  of  Ciermany 
the  Zander  spawns  in  May  and  June  ;  in  southern  Germany  earlier,  begin- 
ing  in  April.      Eckstrom  states  that  in  Sweden  they  spawn  only  at  night. 

The  fullest  description  of  the  breeding  of  the  American  species  is  that  by 


^>!i 


THE  riKK  J'JCJ^CJfJCS. 


n 


feeding 


heir  own 

ijion   the 

Insects, 

md  even 

It  gt)klen 
clinging 
)sited  at 
ess  than 
hundred 
■;i)eciesis 
r  storms 
Istranded 
1  roads  ol 
in.     He 

southern 
ted  with 
|i  March, 
Ion  con- 
jlennany 
',l)egin- 
It  night. 
Is  that  by 


Dr.  lOstes  :    " 'They  spawn,"  he  writes,  "  tVoni  the  first   to   the   lit'teenth  ot' 
.Vpril,  in  L.ike  Pepin  sometimes  earlier.      One  season  the  spawning  was  all 
done  by  the  third  of  .-Vpril,  and  every  lish  Iiad  left  the  beds.      Just  as  soon 
as  the  lake  is  well  closed  over  with  ice,  they  leave  the  deep  water  and   re- 
sort to  the  sand-bars  where  they  remain  mitil  the  spawning  timi-  in  the 
spring.      It  seems  a  fact  that  they  select  and  take  possession  of  the  spawn- 
ing l)eds  fully  three  months  before  they  are  needed  for  use.      I  have   care- 
fully observed  this  habit  for  more  than  twenty-five  years,  and   each  year's 
observatU)n  is  confirmatory.      In   the  first  place,  we  do  not  take   tliem   on 
these  bars  in  summer,  and  again  two-thirds  of  all  that  are  taken  from  the  be- 
ginning of  winter  to  spring  are  females,  proving  conclusively  that  they  thus 
early  select  these  bars  as  spawning  grounds.      I  have  often  visited  them  as 
early  as  May,  but  failed  to  find  the  fish,  while,  from  the  closing  of  the  lakes 
to  March,  they  are  often  founil  in  great  numbers. 

"  The  beds  are  made  on  sandy  bars,  in  water  from  four  to  eight  feet  deep. 
The  bottom  must  be  clean,  well-washed  sand,  free  from  gravel,  rocks,  mud 
or  grass.  The  eggs  are  mixed  with  the  sand  but  not  covered  over,  and 
consetjuently  many  of  them  fall  an  easy  prey  to  the  mnnerous  fishes  which 
are  on  the  hunt  for  them."  * 

Little  is  known  of  their  rate  of  growth.  Heckel  and  Ivner  state  that  the 
Zander  grows  rapidly  with  abundant  food,  especially  if  it  remains  in  the 
marshy  districts,  attaining  in  the  first  year  a  weight  of  a  pound-and-a-half, 
in  the  seconil  two  jioirnds-and-a-half,  and  in  the  third,  from  five  to  six 
pounds.  In  the  lower  waters  of  the  Danube,  however,  its  weight  in  the 
first  year  is  only  three-(iuarters  of  a  pound,  and  in  the  second,  two  pounds. 
They  also  say  that  the  Zander  lives  only  from  eight  to  ten  years.  Dr. 
Estes  tells  us  that  in  Lake  Pepin  the  yearling  fish  are  only  about  two  inches 
long,  a  story  which  seems  much  more  credible  than  that  told  by  the 
Austrian  naturalists  just  (pioted.  The  Wall-eye  does  not  often  exceed  ten 
pounds  in  weight,  though  giants  of  thirty-six  inches  or  more,  weighing  from 
twenty  to  thirty  pounds,  are  on  record,  f  The  Sanger  is  smaller,  rarely  ex- 
ceeding eighteen  inches  in  length.  Zanders  sold  in  the  (ierman  markets 
range  from  one  to  lour  pounds  in  weight  ;  the  Pike-Perch  which  come  to 
Washington  and  New  York  are  usually  not  larger. 

The  Pike-Perch  was  one  of  the  first  species  experimented  u[)on  by  Ameri- 
can fish  culturists.      In  May,  1S57,  it  is  said,  Mr.  Carl  MuUer  of  New  York 


*  Aiiicrhitn  Angli-r  Sept.  8,  1SS3,  and  St.  I'.iiil  l^ionecr  Press,  Jan.  1S82. 

t"  Ur.  liiioltook  one  in  the  Kentucky  River  which  weighed  nearly  fifty  pounds."— Genio  C.  Scott. 


1 8 


AMERICAX  FJSHES. 


jrf*S' 


and  Mr.  Henry  Brown  of  Xcw  Haven,  artificially  fecundated  twenty  million 
eggs,  which  they  transferred  from  Lake  Ontario  to  Lake  Saltonstall  in  Con- 
necticut. Tiiere  is  no  evidence  that  the  eggs  ever  were  hatched.*  Seth 
Green  has  experimented  in  the  same  direction.  He  states  that  the  eggs 
may  be  hatched  either  in  the  box  which  bears  his  own  name,  or  in  the 
Holton  box,  and  that  they  reciuire  thirty-one  days  for  development  in 
water  at  a  temperature  of  34°,  though  in  warmer  water  they  will  mature  in 
ten  days.f  Max  Von  dem  Borne  gives  the  details  of  some  furtlier  experi- 
ments made  in  Pomcrania,  prior  to  iS8i.| 

It  seems  ])robable  that  whenever  it  shall  be  determined  to  disseminate 
this  fish  more  widely  through  American  waters,  the  object  may  be  accom- 
l)lished,  as  has  been  so  often  done  with  the  black-bass,  by  transi)lanting  in- 
dividuals of  considerable  size.  The  Zander  was  successfully  acclimated  in 
England  by  the  Duke  of  Bedford  in  1S78.  Twenty-eight  individuals, 
averaging  about  two  pounds  in  weight,  were  taken  across  from  Oermany 
by  Herr  Dallmer,  a  Prussian  fishery  officer. 

Elaborate  instructions  for  the  transplanting  of  this  fish,  and  its  care  in 
captivity,  are  given  by  my  friend  Max  Von  dem  Borne,  in  his  "Fischzucht." 

Wherever  the  Pike-Perch  is  known  it  is  very  highly  ])rize<I.  ^n  the 
Great  Lake  regions  S.  vitrcum  ranks  next  in  value  to  the  white  fish  and  lake 
trout,  though  S.  canadcnsc  is  not  so  well  esteemed.  At  Sandusky,  Toledo 
and  Cleveland,  where  all  market-fishes  are  classified  in  the  two  categories 
"hard-fish"  and  "soft-fish,"  the  two  species  are  assorted  into  distinct 
classes,  the  Sanger  being  placed  in  the  inferior,  or  "  soft  "  group. 

The  flesh  is  hard,  white,  flaky  and  easy  of  digestion,  and  has  a  distinc- 
tive flavor  of  its  own,  which  renders  it  especially  available  for  boiling, 
though  often  stuffed  and  baked.  Its  capabilities  are  equal  to  those  of 
fresh-caught  cod  or  turbot.  The  Pike-Perch,  as  it  comes  to  our  tables, 
through  the  mediation  of  the  fish-mongers,  is  by  no  means  so  palatable  as  the 
Zander,  when  served  in  the  restaurants  of  Berlin,  Dresden  or  Munich — plain- 
boiled  with  a  simple  sauce  of  drawn  butter.  This  is  not  the  fault  of  the 
fish  so  much  as  of  the  fish-markets.  In  Germany  they  are  sold  alive,  and 
it  is  a  most  satisfactory  exi)erience  to  see  the  clean,  plump  fishes,  eels,  carp 
and  Zander,  swimming  about  in  the  great  wooden  tubs,  of  which  there  are 
scores  in  the  great  stone-paved  scjuares  every  market  morning. 


I    :! 


'"■Report  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Patents,  1859,  p.  227. 
i  J-is/i  Ilatchitig and  J''ish  Catching,  1879,  p.  173. 
\FUchzucht,  p.  149. 


THE  PIKE  PERCHES, 


'9 


I  have  an  impression  that  thcMlelic  acyof  tlic  Zandi-r  in  (liiinauN  is  greatly 
duo  to  the  fact  that  the  fish  are  l)le«l,  wlien  taken  from  tlieir  tubs  to  be  tle- 
livered  to  the  imrchaser.  In  Sweden  tlie  fishermen  are  said  to  |)ier<'e 
their  tails,  to  allow  the  bloo<l  to  escape  and  thus   blanch  the  tiesh. 

In  the  south  of  Russia  one  of  the  Pike- Perches,  the  Berschick.  is  ex(  eed- 
ingly  abundant.  In  former  years  it  was  held  in  low  esteem  and  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  oil,  but  of  late,  Astrakhan  has  been  sending  annually  to 
Turkey  and  Clreece  about  eighty  millions  of  pounds  of  this  fish,  salted  and 
two  or  three  million  pounds  of  a  kind  of  caviar,  called  tclutstikovi,  made 
for  the  most  jiart  from  its  roe. 

Travellers  in  Austria  and  Russia  tell  of  the  great  piles  of  salted  I'ike- 
Perch,  stacked  up  like  cord  wood  along  the  banks  of  lakes  and  rivers. 

In  angling  for  Pike-Perch,  a  bass-rod,  reel  and  float  are  generally  used  bv 
American  anglers.  In  quiet  waters  live  minnows  are  preferable  forbait.  but 
in  rapid  currents  slices  of  fish  are  (piite  as  good,  especially  if  these  are 
trimmed  so  as  to  spin  nicely.  Bischoff,  a  Bavarian  authority,  recommends 
the  use  of  long  thin  strips,  fastened  to  the  hook  at  one  end  so  as  to  wriggle 
like  snakes.  European  anglers  generally  i)refer  live  bait,  with  the  pater- 
noster or  even  with  the  simple  float-line. 

In  fishing  in  rai)ids  the  bait  should  be  allowed  to  run  (If)wn  with  the  <  ur- 
rent,  guiding  it  as  far  as  may  be  in  and  out  among  the  largest  rocks. 
Genio  Scott  found  this  method  effective  at  the  Little  Falls  of  the  Mohawk 
River. 

It  should  always  be  remembered  that  the  Pike-Perch  rarely  leaves  the 
bottom,  and  the  line  shotdd  always  be  baited  with  reference  to  this  fact. 

The  artificial  fly  is  sometimes  used.  A  correspondent  of  the  American 
Aii\;Icr*  wrote  sometime  ago  to  that  journal  that  he  had  fished  the  streams 
and  lakes  of  southern  Wisconsin  for  twelve  years,  and  had  found  no  fish 
which  afforded  him  better  sport  than  the  Pike-Perch.  It  will  take  the  fly  as 
readily  as  the  brook-trout  or  the  black-bass,  and  while  it  will  not  fight  as  long 
as  the  bass,  it  furnishes  the  fly-fisher  with  a  fair  amusement,  and  as  a  table 
fish  is  infinately  its  superior.  With  a  light  rod,  weighing  from  five  to  nine 
ounces,  a  four  foot  leader,  antl  a  bass-fly,  this  fish  may  be  readily  taken. 
The  angler  should  whip  the  white  foaming  water  below  a  dam,  on  some 
frosty  morning,  using  a  tlark  fly,  or  cast  upon  the  same  water  toward  even- 
ing with  a  light  fly.  He  will  learn  that  tjiere  are  new  possibilities  for  him 
in  the  way  of  sport  with  a  rod. 

*  American  Angler,  Oct.  7,  1882. 


1 


'i 


30 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


There  is  prohahly  no  better  Pike-Perrh  fishinj;  in  the  world  than  that 
which  may  l)e  had  in  tlie  vicinity  of  halve  City,  Minn.,  in  Lake  I'epin  and 
the  adjacent  waters.  The  nan)e  of  Dr.  I).  ('.  I'lstes  is  as  closely  iilentilied 
with  the  I'ike-l'erch  as  that  of  Xorris  with  the  grayling,  of  Ilenshall  with 
the  black-bass,  or  of  C'hohnondeiey-IVnnell  with  the  pike.  His  essay  pub- 
lished in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  American  Ang/rr,*  from  whicii  extracts 
have  been  made,  is  the  only  careful  study  of  the  American  species  and  is 
well  worth  the  attention  of  naturalists  as  well  as  of  anglers. 

The  tackle  which  he  recommends  for  boat  or  raft  fishing  consists  of  a 
three-jointed  bamboo  rod,  about  twelve  feet  long,  a  click  reel  placed  in 
front  of  the  hand  and  on  top  of  the  rod,  thirty  or  forty  yards  of  braided 
silk  or  linen  line,  and  a  Sproat-bend  hook,  No.  3-0,  tied  to  a  single  length 
of  twisted  double  gut  or  to  gimp. 

l'\)r  wading  the  bars  he  uses  a  muc  h  longer  rod,  often  a  whole  bamboo, 
so  pliable  that  long  c.sts  may  be  made  into  deep  water.  More  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  fish  caught  in  the  main  body  of  Lake  Pepin  are  taken  within 
four  rods  of  the  shore,  off  the  ends  of  the  sandy  points,  in  water  from  five 
to  ten  fiict  deep. 

The  Pike-Perches  are  never  taken  in  large  numbers  for  use  in  commerce, 
c.\cci)t  during  the  spawning  season,  or  immediately  before  it,  and  like  the 
perch,  they  are  in  the  finest  condition  when  fiill-roed.  In  Balaton  Lake 
and  elsewhere  in  Hungary,  there  are  extensive  fisheries  with  bag-nets  under 
the  ice,  and  they  are  caught  chiefly  in  winter  in  our  own  lake  region.  I 
have  never  seen  a  description  of  the  manner  in  which  tlie  Ik'rschick,  S.  vol- 
gciisis,  is  captured  in  Astrakhan,  but  the  statistics  indicate  that  it  is  car- 
ried on  during  the  spawning  season,  since  three  or  four  per  cent,  of  the 
weight  of  the  fish  exported  is  in  the  form  of  salted  ova. 

A  good  type  of  winter  fisliing  through  the  ice  is  that  practiced  on  Lake 
Pepin.  Holes  are  cut  through  the  ice  over  the  bars  from  three  to  ten  rods 
from  the  shore.  The  hook  is  baited  with  a  live  minnow.  A  very  simple 
device  is  used  to  signal  a  bite.  A  piece  of  lath  about  two  feet  long,  with 
a  hole  in  it  a  little  nearer  one  end  than  the  other  ;  through  this  hole  in  the 
lath  is  run  loosely  a  cross-bar  which  is  laid  across  this  hole  on  the  ice.  To 
the  short  end  of  the  lath  the  line  is  attached.  The  moment  the  bait  is 
seized  by  a  fish  below,  the  end  of  the  lath  flies  upright,  and  so  remains  as 
long  as  the  fish  pulls.     The  fisherman  seeing  it,  hastens  to  rescue  his  fish. 

*  American  Angler  IV,  1S33,  pp.  145,  161,  177,  rji. 


THE  IVKF.   PERCIfES. 


31 


ANIicn  thcri;  arc  from  fifty  to  one  liiimlrcd  lines  out,  ami  the  I'lsh  are  hitinL; 
freely,  it  is  exciting  sport  to  lly  from  one  (luiveriiig  signal  to  another,  for 
it  is  often  that  four  or  six  are  in  the  air  at  one  time.  The  number  of  ri>h 
thus  taken  every  winter  is  very  great,  amply  supplying  lo(  al  demands,  and 
the  fish  are  mu(  h  larger  than  those  caught  in  summer. 

"  .\s  an  angler  and  naturalist."  (ontinues  Dr.  Kstes,  "it  was  many 
years  before  I  became  reconciled  to  <  ate  hing  the  wall-eyed  pike  from  off 
tlieir  spawning  beds  in  the  winter  and  spring.  Three  (onsiderations  finally 
for<t.'d  reconciliation,  (i)  There  existed  in  tlie  lake  a  great  number  of 
these  fishes,  (j)  ( omparatively  few  <  ould  be  taken  in  summer  by  the  aji- 
proved  method  of  angling,  (,^)  m.less  taken  through  the  ice  a  great  aniount 
of  cheap  and  wholesome  fish-food  could  not  be  utilized. 

"  Notwithstanding  these  arguments  1  cannot  but  feel  condemned  formy 
conclusions,  when  I  see  hundreds  of  these  fishes  daily,  every  one  hlled  with 
spawn  enough  to  sto(  k  an  inland  sea. 

"One  otiier  method  is  resorted  to.  This  is  the  Indian  jilan  of  spearing 
through  the  ice  from  under  a  teepe  or  daily  shanty.  A  decoy  minncnv  is 
ktpt  in  motion  until  the  fish  is  enticed  into  sight,  when  the  cruel  and 
tleadly  spear  descends  and  fastens  its  barbed  truss  firmly  in  the  llesh.  The 
method  is  worthy  aK)ne  of  the  Indians  wlio  iir.ented  it.*" 

Closely  allied  to  the  I'ike-Perches  is  the  log-[)er(  h,  Pcrcitia  caprodcs, 
also  known  as  the  "  Rock-fish,"  and  "  llog-fish."  It  is  the  largest  of  a 
largj  group  of  little  ])erch-like  fishes  (ailed  "Darters"  or  J'ltlwostoiiia- 
tiihc.  "  These  fishes  "  writes  Jordan,  "  may  be  described  as  little  i)erch,  re- 
duced in  si/e  and  comjiacted,  thus  fitted  for  a  life  in  rocky  brooks,  where  the 
water  is  too  shallow,  swift  and  sterile  tosupport  larger  fish.  All  the  Darters 
are  brilliantly  colored,  and  all  have  a  way  of  lying  (piiescent  on  the  bottoms, 
resting  on  their  large  fins,  and  then  suddenly  darting  away  for  a  short  dis- 
tance when  disturbed.  They  are  carnivorous,  feeding  chielly  on  insects 
and  crustaceans.  Only  one  of  them,  J\'rciiiix  caproiics,  is  large  enough 
to  take  the  hook.  This  one  is  often  found  on  the  urchin's  string,  but  it 
cannot  be  said  to  have  any  economic  value.  The  others  are  too  small  for 
the  urchin  even,  and  although,  according  to  Rafinesipie,  '  they  are  good 
to  eat  fried,'  few  jK'ojile  think  it  worth  -while  to  cook  them.  Darters  are 
found  in  all  fresh  waters  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
but  all  the  species  are  jjeculiar  to  America." 

•  St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press,  Jan.,  iSSi. 


I  i 


'■\ 


'  ■'. 


i     i' 


I 

* 

1    ■ 

1  i 

-    '.; 

iii 

1 

i 

f  ■ 

THE  STRIPED  BASS. 

Rocciis  lineatus. 


The  stately  Bass,  old  Neptune's  fleeting  Post 
That  tides  it  out  and  in  from  sea  to  coast. 

Wood,  Sew  Englancts  Prospect:  1634, 


"DY  the  Greeks,  it  was  so  highly  esteemed  that  Archetratus  termed  it,  or 
■^one  of  the  two  other  closely  allied  species  taken  near  Miletus,  "the  off- 
spring of  the  gods:"  So  writes  Giinther,  concerning  the  Bass  of  Europe, 
the  Aafina^  and  the  Lupus  of  classical  literature,  which  ascended  the  Ti- 
ber, and  entered  the  Acherusian  marshes,  and  gladdened  the  palates  of 
the  gourmets  of  Rome  and  Athens. 

The  European  Bass,  Roccus  lal>rax*  is  found  from  the  Mediterranean, 
to  Tromsoe  in  Norway ;  the  American  species  ranges  from  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  two  species  are  similar  in  form, 
but  very  unlike  in  color;  ours  being  conspicuously  striped,  while  that  of 
Europe  is  silvery  grey.  The  American  form  is  the  largest,  most  active, 
and  on  account  of  its  greater  abundance,  by  far  the  more  important. 

In  the  North  it  is  called  the  "Striped  Bass,"  in  the  South  the  "Rock 
Fish,"  or  the  "Rock."  The  neutral  territory  where  both  these  names  are 
in  use  appears  to  be  New  Jersey.  The  fisherman  of  the  Delaware  use  the 
latter  name,  those  of  the  sea-coast  the  former.  Large  sea-going  individ- 
uals are  sometimes  known  in  New  England  by  the  names  "Squid-hound" 

*  Bass,  Sea-Perch,  White  Salmon,  SaliiioH  Dace  and  Se7tiin,  in  England,  Gape-mouth  in  Scotland, 
Z'r(j(^H()g' in  Wales,  (  This  means  hedgehog.  Compare  with  the  Hroton  Dreiiiee.) /iVo  and />'(iri-  inl'Vance,  i'an 
and  Dreince  in  Brittany,  See-Barsch  in  Germany,  llav-Bars  and  Bars  in  Denmark,  S/<ino/a,Sfiigola,  Bran- 
zine,  Varola,  Baciola,  Ragtts  and  Labrace  in  Italy,  Lubcn  in  Croatia,  (compare  LatinZ«/«i.) 


/'St- 


THE  STRIPED  BASS. 


led  it,  or 
the  off- 
Europe, 
the  Ti- 

alatcs  of 

rranean, 
ilf  of  St. 
in  form, 
I  that  of 
t  active, 
nt. 

:  "Rock 
ames  are 
;  use  the 
individ- 
hound ' ' 

n  Scotland, 
•ranee,  Yun 
<goUi,  Bran- 


and  "Green-head."  In  old  books  it  is  sometimes  called  the  "Streaked- 
bass." 

Tlie  generic  name,  Roccus,  a  barbarous  tlerivative  from  the  common 
name  of  the  fish,  originated  with  Professor  Mitchill,  wliu  described  the 
species  in  his  "Fishes  of  New  York,"  in  1814. 

There  is  still  some  uncertainty  regarding  the  southern  limits  of  the  dis- 
tribution of  this  species.  In  tlie  St.  John's  River,  Florida,  they  are  very 
unusual.  Though  familiar  with  tlie  fisheries  of  that  region  since  1S73.  [ 
have  known  of  the  ca])ture  of  only  two  individuals.  Mr.  Stearns  has  ob- 
tained one  or  two  specimens  in  the  vicinity  of  Pensacola,  and  gives  an  ac- 
count of  the  degree  of  their  abundance  in  the  (lulf  of  Mexico.  He  writes: 
"  They  are  occasionally  caught  on  the  northern  shores  of  the  (lulf,  and 
are  evidently  more  common  about  the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi  River 
than  elsewhere,  since  they  are  taken  in  this  region  only  in  seines,  an<l  in 
shallow  water  their  abundance  cannot  be  correctly  determined.  The 
earliest  account  I  have  been  able  to  ol)tain  of  the  cajjture  of  the  Striped 
Rass  in  Pensacola  T'ay  is  that  of  Capt  John  Washington,  of  Mystic, 
Connect-icut,  who  states  that  in  1S50,  while  seine-fishing  from  the  smac  k 
'Francis  Parkes,'  he  surroundetl  with  his  seine  a  large  school  of  fish,  whi(  h 
were  (piite  unmanageable ;  a  few  of  them  were  saved,  and  provetl  to  be 
large  Striped  Bass,  weighing  from  fifteen  to  forty  jjounds.  At  long  inter- 
vals since,  solitary  inilividuals  have  been  taken  at  various  points  on  the 
coast.  At  New  Orleans  it  is  found  in  the  market  ([uite  often.  An  eighteen- 
pound  specimen  was  sold  there  in  March,  iSSo." 

In  Hallock's  "Sportsman's  Oazetteer"  the  following  statement  ocmirs  : 
"It  is  constantly  seen  in  rivers  of  fresh  water  at  great  distances  from  the 
ocean,  even  as  far  up  the  Mississippi  as  Saint  Louis,  and  it  is  common  in 
White  River,  Arkansas,  antl  in  all  the  rivers  of  the  Southern  States." 
While  there  can  be  no  question  that  straggling  individuals  of  this  si)ecies 
have  been  taken  in  the  Gidf  of  Mexico,  it  seems  probable  that  both  Mr. 
Stearns  and  ]\Ir.  Hallock  have  been  mistaken  by  the  resemblame  of  this 
species  to  the  Brassy  Bass,  Roccus  intcrniptiis,  which  aboinids  throughout 
the  Lower  Mississippi  Valley. 

Canadian  authorities  inform  us  that,  though  the  Bass  still  occur  along 
the  New  Brunswick  and  Nova  Scotia  shores  of  the  Gulf,  they  are  much  less 
abundant  and  of  smaller  size  than  formerly.  They  have  been  known  to 
ascend  the  Saint  Lawrence  as  far  as  Quebec,  and  Mr.  Roosevelt  has  seen  a 


i 

i 

1 

I 

I 

ill 


n 


24 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


specimen,  a  female  fish,  which  was  taken  in  the  Niagara  River,  near 
Lewiston.  The  Bass  is  most  abundant  in  the  bays  and  inlets  about  Cape 
Hatteras,  in  the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Bay  region,  and  in  the  pro- 
tected waters  of  Long  Island  and  Southern  New  England.  In  winter  it 
occurs  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  Altamaha  River,  and  is  not  unusual 
in  the  markets  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina. 

The  species  was  introduced  into  California  some  years  ago,  and  Jor- 
dan reported,  in  1S80,  that  several  specimens  had  been  captured  along  the 
coast. 

It  is  particularly  abundant  in  the  great  estuaries  and  the  open  stretches 
of  large  rivers.  It  ascends  the  Potomac  to  the  Great  Falls,  twelve  miles 
above  Washington,  the  Hudson  to  Albany,  the  Connecticut  to  Hartford, 
and  the  Saint  Lawrence  to  Quebec.  Before  the  erection  of  the  dam  in  the 
Susquehanna  individuals  were  taken  as  high  up  as  Luzerne.  It  is  very 
curious  that  Giinther  should  state  that  the  European  species  of  Bass  are 
"almost  exclusively  inhabitants  of  the  sea,  entering  brackish  but  never 
fresh  waters,  whilst  the  American  species  seem  to  affect  principally  fresh 
waters."  It  is  true  that  America  has  species  oi  Roccus  exclusively  fluvia- 
tile  in  distribution,  but  not  true  that  the  European  form  does  not  ascend 
rivers.  Badham,  who  is  a  sufficiently  accurate  commentator  on  the  classi- 
cal authorities,  remarks:  "  Though  born,  and  in  a  great  measure,  bred  at 
sea,  it  was  only  those  taken  in  fresh  waters  which  fetched  fancy  prices,  for 
most  rivers  were  thought  to  impart  flavor  and  to  improve  the  condition  of  his 
solids;  but  as  tawny  Thames  has  a  pre-eminence  among  rivers  for  the 
quality  of  its  Perches,  so  had  tawny  Tiber  for  the  quality  of  its  Basses. 
Many  went  so  far  as  to  ignore  the  existence  of  this  fish  from  any  other 
stream." 

The  young  fish  may  advantageously  be  confined  in  "  stews"  or  artificial 
enclosures.  This  was  done  successfully  by  Arnold  on  the  Island  of  Guern- 
sey, and  the  experiments  of  Clift  at  Mystic,  Connecticut,  were,  I  am  told, 
reasonably  satisfactory. 

No  one  species  among  the  many  which  they  encountered,  seems  to  have 
astonished  the  early  colonists  of  America  by  its  abundance  and  choice 
qualities  so  much  as  did  the  Bass.  Capt.  John  Smith  in  his  "New  Eng- 
land's Trials,"   wrote: 

"The  Basse  is  an  excellent  Fish,  both  fresh  &  salte,  one  hundred  whereof 
salted  (at  market)  have  yielded  5  pounds.  They  are  so  large,  the  head  of 
one  will  give  a  good  eater  a  dinner,  &  for  daintinesse  of  diet  they  excell  the 


T."-. 


TIfK  STRIPED  BASS. 


25 


er,  near 
ut  Cape 
the  pro- 
anter  it 
unusual 

ind  Jor- 
long  the 

stretches 
t-e  miles 
lartford, 
im  in  the 
[t  is  very 
Bass  are 
ut  never 
lly  fresh 
ly  fluvia- 
t  ascend 
le  classi- 
bred  at 
ices,  for 
on  of  his 
for  the 
Basses, 
ly  other 

irtificial 
f  Guern- 
im  told, 

to  have 
choice 
w  Eng- 

whereof 
head  of 
:cell  the 


Marvbones  of  Bccfe.  There  are  sucli  multitudes  that  I  have  scene  stopped 
in  the  river  close  adjoining  to  my  house  with  a  sande  at  one  tide  so  many  as 
will  loade  a  ship  of  100  tonnes.  I  myselfe,  at  the  turning  of  the  tyde  have 
seene  such  multitudes  passe  out  of  a  pounde  that  it  seemed  to  me  that  one 
mighte  go  over  their  backs  drlshod." 

Skeptical  historians  of  to-day  say  that  John  Smith  was  a  liar.  I  don't 
believe  it,  and  I  quote  in  his  support  from  the  words  of  a  "reverend  Di- 
vine," his  contemporary  : 

"  There  is  a  Fish  called  a  Basse,  a  most  sweet  iS:  wholesome  Fish  as  ever 
I  did  eat,  it  is  altogether  as  good  as  our  fresh  Sammon,  <!v:  the  season  of 
their  comming  was  begun  when  we  came  first  to  New  ICngland  in  June  and 
so  continued  about  three  months  space.  Of  this  Fish  our  Fishers  take 
many  hundreds  together,  which  I  have  scene  lying  on  the  shore  to  my  ad- 
miration; yea,  their  Netts  ordinarily  take  more  than  they  are  able  to  hall 
to  Land." 

It  is  by  no  means  strange  that  the  ^'irginians  believed  it  possible  to  es- 
tablish commercial  fisheries  which  shoidd  rival  those  of  Newfoundland. 
Indeed  the  bass  fishery  has,  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  been  a  very 
important  resource  of  the  coast  states  from  Massachusetts  to  the  Carolinas, 
and  to  the  present  day  the  annual  captures  in  certain  localities  are  enor- 
mous.    The  following  are  extracts  from  an  old  note  book : 

In  December,  1874,  three  fishing-gangs  near  Bridgehampton,  N.  Y.  ,took 
over  18,000  pounds  in  less  than  a  week,  Captain  Charles  Ludlow  securing  at 
onesetofhisseine  1,672  Bass,  or  about  three  and  one  half  tons.*  Shortlyaf- 
terthis  a  New  London  fisherman  brought  in  419  Bass,  1S5  of  which  had  been 
caught  with  a  hook  in  three  hours.  Near  Norfolk,  Va. ,  1,500  have  been 
taken  at  a  single  set  of  the  seine;  a  i>i\\  years  ago  600  were  thus  taken 
which  averaged  80  i)ounds  each.  The  most  successful  fishery  is  on  the 
plantation  of  Dr.  W.  R.  Cajjehart,  in  Bertie  County,  N.  C.  At  the  ap- 
jiroach  of  spawning  time,  and  during  the  continuence  of  the  shad  and 
herring  fishery,  the  bass  congregate  near  the  head  of  Albemarle  Sound, 
where  they  are  taken  in  great  numbers.  Dr.  Capehart  writes:  "We  us- 
ually catch  from  20,000  to  40,000  pounds  of  Striped  Bass  in  a  season  of 
fifty  days, — in  March,  April,  and  early  May.  Occasionally  we  make  an 
immense  catch.  In  1S58,  I  took  about  30,000  pounds  in  one  haul.  Many 
of  these  weighed  75  to  85  pounds.  On  the  6th  of  May,  1876,  we  made  a 
haul  of  820  Bass,  weighing  37,000  pounds;  365  of  this  lot  weighed  65 
pounds,  average,  a  great  many  85  jjounds,  and  a  i'cw  90  i)ounds.      In  the 

*In  the  first  half  of  June,  1879,  one  fisherman  near  Fire  Island,  New  York,  caught  and  sent  to   New  York 
the  following  quantities  of  Hass:  I'dumls.  Pounds. 


June  2 1 , 

J<"ie  -r i,H7 

June  5 913 

June  6 1,5.. I 


June     8 1^298 

June    9 1,255 

J""e  14 1,253 

June  iS 1,500 


Total 10,164 


I 


J 


26 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


next  haul  we  caught  13,000  ]iounds  more,  or  50,000  pounds  altogether 
within  six  hours.  This  was  at  the  Black  Walnut  Point  fishery.  At  my 
Avoca  Beach  fishery  a  haul  was  made  in  1844,  which  was  supposed  to 
amount  to  100,000  pounds,  but  this  was  not  accurately  counted.  Many 
of  the  individual  fish  weighed  95  pounds."  A  Hessian  officer,  stationed  at 
New  York  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  recorded  that  great  (piantities 
were  at  that  time  sold  in  the  markets.  In  the  year  ending  March,  1879, 
over  800,000  ])ounds  of  bass  were  sold  in  New  York,  the  greatest  numljcr 
being  recorded  for  Novemoer. 

The  Baltimore  Gazette.,  in  May,  1834  had  this  item:  "Some  fishermen 
at  Carpenters  Point  took  a  iiingle  haul,  upwards  of  Soo  rock  fish  of  the 
largest  size  we  ever  saw.  Some  of  them  weighed  upwards  of  100  pounds, 
and  the  most  of  them  averaged  from  50  to  100  pounds." 

The  annual  consumption  of  this  fish  in  the  United  States  is  estimated  at 
not  less  than  200,000  pounds. 

I  have  found  no  very  reliable  evidence  to  show  that  the  species  is  de- 
creasing in  numbers.  They  are  not  taken  by  unfair  means,  nor  captured 
by  wholesale  upon  the  spawning  beds  or  in  narrow  waters.  The  citizens 
of  New  York  a  century  and  a  quarter  ago  were  apparently  more  concerned 
about  it  than  at  present,  for  in  1758  they  passed  a  law  proliibiting  their 
sale  during  the  winter  months,  on  account  of  the  "great  decrease  of  that 
kind  offish. ' '  An  offender  was  to  be  fined  forty  shillings  and  forfeit  his  fish, 
and  if  he  were  a  negro,  mulatto  or  Indian  slave,  to  be  punished  at  the 
whipping  post,  unless  his  fine  were  paid  by  his  master  or  mistress. 

The  luiropcan  Bass  is  probably  (piite  as  abundant  on  the  west  coast  of 
Spain  and  Portugal  as  anywhere  within  its  range. 

Like  other  representatives  of  the  perch  family  not  exclusively  marine 
in  habit,  the  Striped  Bass  are  resident  in  our  waters  throughout  the  year. 
They  appear  to  avoid  a  temperature  higher  than  65°  or  70°,  and  are  not 
sensitive  to  cold,  but  their  movements  are  not  related  to  the  changes  of 
the  seasons,  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  seek  to  avoid  the  approach 
of  winter  by  southward  migration  like  bluefish  and  Spanish  mackerel,  or 
by  moving  out  into  the  temperate  strata  of  mid-ocean,  like  shad,  salmon, 
menhaden,  and  mackerel.  Nor  is  it  probable  that  they  voluntarily  enter 
upon  a  state  of  torpidity  in  winter,  as  some  writers  have  supposed.  Sev- 
eral authorities  state  that  they  go  into  fresh  water  streams  in  winter  for  shel- 
ter, and  De  Kay's  opinion  was  that,  entering  bays  and  ponds,  they  embed 
themselves  in  the  mud.  We  know,  however,  that  hibernation  of  this  kind 
is  rarely  voluntary;   as  a  rule,  fish  retreat,  with  a  falling  temperature,  into 


riJE  STRIPED  BASS. 


27 


the  deepest  waters,  and  never  beeonie  torpid  until  they  are  benumbed  liy 
the  cold,  when  they  sink  to  the  bottom,  and  possibly  rest  on  a  bed  of  mud. 
It  is  easy,  however,  to  imderstand  that  individuals  may  occasionally  be 
penned  up  in  this  way.  Mr.  (lenio  C.  Scott  is  responsible  for  the  state- 
ment that  the  jjonds  formed  by  the  back  water  of  the  Seconnet  River,  in 
Rhode  Island,  were  one  winter  so  full  of  Striped  Bass  that  they  were  dis- 
covered by  their  dorsal  fins  i)rojecting  from  the  ice  where  they  had  been 
frozen  by  too  close  i)acking.  Most  of  our  Bass  doubtless  avoid  such  igno- 
minious captivity  as  this  by  retreating  to  the  deeper  parts  of  the  sea.  or 
the  rivers,  where  they  remain  in  a  state  of  partial  activity,  at  least,  and 
have  occasional  opportunity  for  feeding.  Since  1S75  there  have  come  to 
my  notice  instances  of  their  capture  in  Long  Island  and  Block  Island 
Sounds,  and  in  the  Merrimac  River  in  December,  in  Martha's  Vineyard 
Sound  and  the  lower  part  of  Hudson  River  in  January.  Chesapeake  Bay 
and  the  Potomac  yield  considerable  (juantities  all  winter.  In  the  rivers  of 
New  Brunswick  quantities  of  them  are  speared  through  holes  in  the  ice,  as 
they  lie  close  to  the  bottom. 

The  Bass  are  most  voracious  feeders.  When  in  die  rivers  they  prey  upon 
small  fishes,  which  are  always  a  favorite,  and  at  this  time  their  exclusive 
diet.  C.  C.  Abbott,  once  saw  a  ]5ass,  a  foot  in  length,  devour  a  dozen 
silver-finned  minnows  in  four  minutes.  "A  Rock-fish,"  writes  he,  "  will 
freciuently  corner  up  a  small  school  of  minnows,  and  then  pick  them  up  as 
rapidly  and  easily  as  a  fowl  will  piik  up  grains  of  corn,  and  while  devour- 
ing them  will  keep  them  in  a  small  ])lace,  close  together,  all  the  time." 
They  also  frec^  'ent  the  surf  along  the  ocean  beaches,  and  near  rocky 
shores  at  high  tide,  hunting  for  crabs,  shrimps,  scpiids,  and  other  inverte- 
brate animals. 

Oppian  and  ^'Elian  tell  astounding  stories  about  ICuropean  Bass,  and  how 
they  choked  themselves  to  death  with  their  prey. 

''The  Lupus's  foible,"  writes  Badham,  "  is  an  inordinate  greediness 
which,  when  choice  fish  can  be  obtained,  renders  all  his  cunning  of  no 
avail ;  and  his  death  is  often  brought  about  by  means  of  a  very  insignifi- 
cant enemy." 

They  spawn  in  the  late  spring  and  early  in  the  summer,  some  of  them 
in  the  rivers,  others  probably  at  sea,  although  this  has  not  been  definitely 
ascertained.  The  European  Bass  are  said  to  deposit  their  spawn  near  the 
mouths  of  rivers,  in  the  summer  months.      From  North  Carolina   to  New 


28 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


i 


Jersey  the  spawning  time  appears  to  be  in  May;  in  New  Brunswick  in 
June.  Dr.  Blanding,  many  years  ago,  estimated  the  number  of  eggs  at 
2,248,000.      Seth  Green  puts  the  figures  at  500,000. 

The  experiments  of  Major  Ferguson  on  Albemarle  Sound,  in  May,  1S79, 
resulted  in  the  artificial  fecundation  and  hatching  of  many  thousands  of 
the  eggs.  These  were  smaller  than  shad  eggs,  but  after  fecundation  they  in- 
creased considerably  in  size,  and  assumed  a  light  green  color.  They 
hatched  in  about  twenty-four  hours.  About  400,000  young  fish  were  libe- 
rated in  Salmon  Creek.  Mr.  Holton  made  similar  experiments  at  Weldon, 
N.  C,  in  May,  1873.  He  observed  that  the  eggs  did  not  come  to  maturity 
until  the  fourth  or  fifth  day.  This  difference  in  the  time  of  hatching  was 
possibly  due  to  the  cooler  temperature  of  the  water  in  the  Roanoke  river. 

In  the  North  Carolina  waters  they  spawn  in  early  May;  in  the  Potomac 
also  in  JNla^ .  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott  for  five  successive  years  found  in  the  Dela- 
ware River  young  an  inch  long  in  the  second  week  of  June.  Professor 
Leith  Adams  observed  bass  spawning  in  the  St.  Johns  River,  N.  B.  about 
the  middle  of  June. 

Their  rate  of  growth  is  not  certainly  known.  Dr.  Abbott's  inch-long 
fry  of  June  measured  four  and  one-half  inches  by  the  middle  of  October. 
Great  quantities  of  young  fish,  from  five  to  nine  inches  long,  are  taken  in 
the  Potomac  in  February  and  March.  I  believe  them  to  be  the  young  of 
the  previous  year. 

Capt.  Gavitt,  of  Westerly,  Rhode  Island,  has  caught  Bass  in  June  that 
weighed  from  one-half  to  one  pound,  put  them  into  a  pond  and  taken  tliem 
out  in  the  following  October,  when  they  weighed  six  ])ounds.  The  aver- 
age size  of  this  fish  probably  does  not  exceed  twenty  pounds.  In  the  Poto- 
mac, Hudson,  and  Connecticut  rivers  the  largest  seldom  exceed  thirty  or 
forty  pounds,  though  in  the  Potomac  fifty-pound  fish  are  not  unusual.  The 
Fish  Commission  has  for  several  years  had  a  standing  offer  of  a  reward 
for  a  sixty-pound  fish  from  the  Potomac,  but  none  has  been  forthcoming 
as  yet.  Dr.  Henshall  states  that  he  once  saw  a  Striped  Bass  weighed  in 
the  Baltimore  fish  market,  which  went  several  pounds  over  one  hundred. 
In  i860  one  was  taken  at  Cuttyhunk,  which  weighed  104  pounds.  The 
largest  on  record  was  one  weighing  one  hundred  and  twelve  pounds,  taken 
at  Orleans,  Massachusetts,  in  the  Town  Cove.  Such  a  fish  must  have 
measured  at  least  six  feet  in  length.  A  fairly  proportioned  Bass  thirty-six 
inches  long  should  weigh  at  least  eighteen  pounds. 


Tin-:  STRIPED  BASS. 


29 


In  (Jreat  Britain  a  Bass  of  ten  or  twelve  pounds  is  considered  a  fine 
example,  but  there  are  instances  on  record  of  individuals  weighing  22 
and  2%  pounds,  and  those  in  Southern  Europe  do  not  appear  to  grow  much 
larger. 

Few  of  our  food-fish  are  more  generally  popular.  The  small  ones, 
weighing  less  than  a  pound  are  fried,  and  are  excellent  pan-fish.  Those 
from  one  to  three  pounds,  are  recommended  for  broiling,  and  from  five  to 
eight  pound-fish  are  considered  the  best  to  boil.  The  very  large  ones  are 
cut  in  transverse  sections  for  boiling,  and  never  lack  jnirchasers.  De 
Voe  says  that  Bass  are  in  the  l)est  condition  in  September,  October  and  No- 
vember. 


THE  EUROPEAN  BASS. 


In  Great  Britain  the  Bass  is  not  highly  esteemed,  but  in  France,  Spain, 
Italy  and  Greece,  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  of  fishes. 

"He  is  a  gallant  fish  and  a  bold  biter,"  said  Frank  Forester;  and 
Genio  Scott  puts  him  first  among  the  game-fishes  of  coast  and  estuary. 
The  Striped  Bass  is  deservedly  a  favorite  with  the  angler,  whether  he  fishes 
with  shrimp  or  clam  bait  in  the  brackish  creeks,  entices  with  the  artificial 
fly  at  the  L.ttle  or  Great  Falls  of  the  Potomac,  trolls  in  the  swift  tideways, 
tolls  with  menhaden  bait  from  the  stages  at  Basque  and  Cuttyhunk,  still- 
baits  in  the  bays,  or  "heaves  and  hauls"  in  the  wild  surf  of  the  outer 
shores.  The  last  mentioned  method  is  perhaps  the  most  peculiar,  and  de- 
serves a  few  words  of  description.  In  Scott's  "  Fishing  in  American 
Waters,"  and  in  Roosevelt  and  Green's  "Fish  Hatching  and  Fish  Catch- 
ing," may  be  found  descriptions  of  the  various  kinds  of  tackle  used  in 
Bass-fishing,  and  graphic,  breezy  stories  of  adventurous  days  passed  in  this 
pursuit.     Mr.    Scott  does  not  hesitate  to  claim   for  his  favorite  the  first 


Pi' 


30 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


place  on  the  list  of  American  game-fishes.     After  devoting   several   chap- 
ters to  other  methods  of  capture,  he  continues  :    "Casting  menhaden  bait 
for  Striped  T'ass,  from  the  rocky  shores  of  the  bays,  estuaries,  and  islands 
along  the  Atlantic  coasts  constitute  the  highest  branch  of  American   ang- 
ling.    It  is,  indeed,  questionable — when  considering  all  the  elements  which 
contribute  to  the  sum  total  of  sport  in  angling — whether  this  method  of 
Striped  Bass  fishing  is  not  superior  to  Hy-fishing  for  salmon,  and  if  so,  it 
outranks  any  angling  in  the  world.      The  method  is  eminently  American, 
and  characteristic  of  the  modern  angler  by  its  energy  of  style,  and  the  ex- 
ercise and  activity  necessary  to  success."    The  rods  used  in  this  kind  of  fish- 
ing must  not  exceed  nine  feet  in  length,  and  are  very  light,  often  less  than 
a  i)ound  in  weight,  the  lines  of  linen  or  hemp,  two  to  three  hundred  yards 
long,  must  be  of  the  utmost  strength  and  elasticity,  the  reels  must  represent 
the  perfection  of  the  tackle-maker's  skill,   triple-multipliers,  with  jewel- 
mounted  wheels  and  delicately  adjusted  balance-cranks.     The  unsuspecting 
Basses  are  lured  in  by  the  use  of  a  toll  bait  of  chopped  menhaden,  which  is 
cast  upon  the  water  until  an  oily  surface  or  slick  is  produced  which  ex- 
tends half  a  mile  or  more  from  the  shore.     This  attracts  the  fish,  which  swim 
toward  the  angler,  stopping  now  and  then  to  seize  the  floating  bits  offish. 
When  they  come  within  reach  of  the  fisherman's  line  a  strong  hook,  deli- 
cately baited  with  a  bit  of  menhaden,   pork,  or  parchment,   is    quickly 
offered  them.      "With  a  dexterity  which  practice  alone  can  assume,"  writes 
Mr.  Hallock,  "  the  experienced  anglers  carefully  sway  the  rod  until  the 
squid  describes  its  slowly  moving  circle  around  the  head,  and  then,   by  a 
quick,  inexplicable  movement,  cause  it  to  dart  like  an  arrow,  straight  out 
far  over  the  sea,  and  the  reel  whizzes  and  whirls  until  it  seems  to  flash  fire, 
and  you  wait  long  and  patiently  for  the  cessation  of  the  hum,  which  indicates 
that  the  squid  has  dropped  full  one  hundred  feet,  perhaps  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  away.     The  pleasure  and  excitement  of  capture  are  intense, 
and  often  the  struggle  lasts  for  an  hour  when  the  fish  is  large." 

On  Basque  and  Cuttyhunk,  two  of  the  Elizabeth  Islands,  lying  be- 
tween Buzzard's  Bay  and  Martha's  Vineyard  Sound,  are  several  club-houses, 
sustained  by  wealthy  gentlemen  from  New  York  who  resort  to  this  region 
in  summer  to  enjoy  this  amusement.  Long  stages  project  from  the  rocks 
into  the  sound  and  bay,  and  from  these  the  anglers  cast  their  squids  and 
play  their  fish,  attended  by  their  "  baiters,"  who  do  their  full  share  of  labor 
in  finding  bait,  baiting  hooks,  and  gaffing  the  fish.     Ill-natured  rumor 


FISH 


jLiikWd 


LIBRARY 


THE  STRIPED  BASS, 


3» 


whisiKTs  that  for  every  ijound  of  Bass  brought  to  sliorc  hy  these  hard-work- 
ing cUib-mcn,  hundreds  of  j.ounds  of  menhaden  are  cast  into  the  sea. 

An  obliging  correspondent  furnishes  the  following  description  of  one  of 
these  clubs  :    "  The  Island  of  Cuttyhunk  is  about  sixteen  miles  from   New 
Bedford,  at  the  extreme  southwesterly  boundary  of  Buzzard's  Bay,  whose 
foaming  billows  wash  its  northern  shore,  while  the  ocean  itself  beats  upon 
the  south.    The  Cuttyhunk  Club  own  about  three  hundred  acres  of  land,  and 
have  the  exclusive  right  to  fish  on  the  shores  and  in  the  jionds  of  the  island. 
When  the  club  was  first  formed  they  stocked  one  of  the  ponds  on  the  island 
with  black  bass,  and  these  have  multiplied  so  plentifully  that  they  are  now 
caught  in  large  numbers.     No  fishing  was  allowed  for  three  years  from  the 
time  the  pond  was  stocked.     Perch  and  trout  are  also  plenty  in  ponds  on  the 
island.     Twenty-six  fishing  stands  have  been  built  at  Cuttyhunk.  and  they 
extend  completely  round  the  island.     These  stands  are  built  upon  prominent 
rocks,  and  are  supported  above  the  breakers  by  iron  rods.     Foot  bridges, 
supported  in  the  same  way,  are  built  from  the  shore  to  the  stands.      The 
stands  are  all  named  or  numbered,  and  are  drawn  for  every  night  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  club.     A  member  drawing  a  stand  can  fish  from  it  the  next  day, 
or  it  can  be  used  l)y  any  one  else  by  his  permission.     The  stands  bear  such 
names  as  '  Nashawena  Point,'  '  Canepitset,'  '  Old  Water  I,ine.'  *  Cove  Point, 
'Little  Bass,'  'Big  Bass,'  and  'Cull  Roiks.'     The  stands  are  all  removed 
after  the  season  is  over,  to  be  put  up  again  the  next  year.      '  Central  Park' 
seats  have  this  season  been  placed  on  the  bluffs  round  the  island  at  con- 
venient points,  from  which  to  watch  the  fishing  at  each  stand,  so  that  mem- 
bers who  are  not  lucky  enough  to  secure  favorite  stands  can  sit  with  ease 
and  enjoy  the  sport  of  their  fellow-members.     The  favorite  fishing  is  for 
Striped  Bass,  and,  during  the  best  of  the  season,  the  sjjort  is  cc  nimenced 
as  early  as  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.     A  record  is  kej)t  at  the  club 
house  of  the  daily  catch,  by  whom  caught,  where  taken,  on  what  station, 
the  number  of  fish,  weight,  and  date.      Some  members  of  the  Cuttyhunk 
Club  also  belong  to  the  West  Island  Club,  which  controls  only  five  acres 
of  land.     The  West  Island  Club  is  limited  to  thirty  members,  with  an  ad- 
mission fee  of  $1,000." 

Professor  Leith  Adams  has  drawn  a  vivid  pen-picture  of  Indian  Bass-fish- 
ing in  New  Brunswick. 

"The  Indians  (on  the  St.  John's  River)  pursue  them  at  spawning 
time.  The  scene  on  a  beautiful  summer  afternoon  is  extremely  ex- 
citing. There  a  few  canoes  containing  remnants  of  the  Melicita 
tribe  may  be  seen  dropping  quietly  down  the  river,  each  with  an  Indian 
in  the  prow,  spear  in  hand,  and  another  at  the  stern  paddling  gently;  then 
a  sudden  splash  close  by  calls  for  his  utmost  exertions,  and  like  an  arrow 
the  birch-bark  skiff  is  shot  towards  the  spot,  when  the  man  in  front,  rest- 
ing on  his  knees,  with  much  force  and  dexterity  sends  his  three-pronged 
harpoon  straight  on  the  fish." 


ill,  ! 


THE  WHITE  BASS.    nOCCUS  CIIRTSOPfl. 


THE  WHITE  BASS  AND  THE  YELLOW  BASS. 


Si4Me.     Has  he  bit  ?  Has  lie  bit  ? 

Face.     And  swallmvcil  tcio,  my  Subtle.     I  have  given  him  line,  and  now  he  plays  I'  faith. 

SiiMe,    And  shall  we  twitch  liim? 

Face,    Through  both  the  gills. 

r.i;N.  JdNSON,  T/ie  Alchemist,  ifni,  .Act.  ii,  Pc.  i. 


* 


'T^HE  White  Bass,  or  Striped  T.ake  Bass,  Roccus  chrysops,  is  often  con- 
founded  with  the  Striped  Bass,  which  it  closely  resembles.  It  may 
easily  he  distinguished  by  the  presence  of  thirteen,  instead  of  eleven,  soft 
rays  in  the  anal  fin,  as  well  as  by  the  greater  size  of  its  scales,  of  which 
there  are  about  fifty-five  rows,  instead  of  sixty  or  more. 

It  is  most  abundant  in  the  Great  Lake  region,  although  it  has  a  witle 
distribution  in  the  Ohio  and  upi)er  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi,  and  is 
found  in  many  streams  farther  south.  It  frequents  chiefly  the  lakes  and 
ponds  and  the  deeper  parts  of  the  rivers.  It  feeds  upon  minnows  and  the 
like,  usually  taking  the  hook  readily,  and  is  considered  gamy  by  the 
angler.  As  a  food-fish  it  ranks  high,  being  little  inferior  to  the  black- 
bass.  Its  usual  weight  is  from  one  to  three  pounds.  The  White  Ba.ss  is 
said  to  be  an  excellent  fish  for  cultivation  in  artificial  ponds.  Like  most 
of  its  relatives,  this  species  spawn  in  late  spring. 

"  It  is  often  taken  in  the  Ohio  River,"  writes  Jordan,  "  and  frequents 
chiefly  deep  or  still  waters,  seldom  ascending  small  stre.uns. 


rifE    WHITE   BASS  AXD    TJfK   YKLLOW  BASS. 


33 


This  is  doubtless  the  Silver  Bass  of  Canada  (A-  Siln-r  Bass  liu  Cathu/c), 
the  details  of  whose  introdiutit)n  into  I'raiue,  and  successful  propagation 
l)y  M.  Carbonnier,  from  1S77  to  1S79,  are  recorded  by  that  experimenter 
in  the  Bulletin  of  the  Society  of  Acclimation  for  iSSi.* 

The  species  at  one  time  attained  to  commercial  importance  in  the  Lake 
Region,  but  has  now  greatly  decreased  in  numbers.  It  is  especially  ad- 
mired by  the  anglers  of  T^ake  re])in. 

Another  species  which  closely  resembles  the  Stripeil  Hass  is  the  Moronr 
intcrrupta,  generally  known  as  the   Yellow  Bass,  but   sometimes  called 


THE  YELLOW  BASS,    MOROXE  IXTERIirPTA. 

Bar-fish  in  the  South.  It  is  found  throughout  the  lower  course  of  the 
Mississippi,  ascending  tlie  tributaries  which  are  deep  and  sluggish,  but 
not  running  past  rapids  or  into  the  upper  courses  of  the  rivers.  Jordan 
states  that  its  range  extends  up  the  Ohio  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  or 
beyond,  though  it  does  not  seem  to  be  common  anywhere  except  in  the 
Lower  Mississippi.  It  probably  enters  salt  water,  but  of  this  we  have  no 
certain  information.  It  is  taken  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  regions 
where  found,  and  is  graded  with  the  White  Bass,  which  it  much  resembles 
in  size  and  color.  Little  is  known  in  regard  to  its  habits.  The  criterion 
by  which  it  maybe  distinguished  from  the  White  Bass  is  the  low  membrane 
connecting  the  two  dorsal  fins.  Its  color  is  yellow,  not  silvery,  and  the 
black  stripes  are  very  prominent. 

♦Bulletin  Mcnsucl  delaSociete  d" Acclimation, viii.  No.  a,  p.  lo. 
3 


' 


I 


1 

i 

i 


i^ 


\i 


34 


AM  ERIC  AX  J'lSIfES. 


In  Lotiisiana  this  species  is  called  "  T.ar-fish  "  probably  on  account  of 
its  stripes.  "  The  appellation,"  says  Hallock,  "  is  etnially  appropriate  as 
applied  to  its  habit  ot"  congregating  in  great  numbers  upon  the  shoals  of 
dear  water  bran<:hcs  and  bayous  which  empty  into  the  Mississippi.  The 
minnows  and  shiners  seem  to  seek  the  bars  at  night.  In  early  morning 
the  water  is  alive  with  Bar-fish  and  trout  (black-bass)  in  jnirsuit  of  the 
minnows  until  it  fairly  boils.      This  is  the  time  of  day  to  go  fishing." 


d 


r- 


THE  WHITE  PERCH. 

Moroiw  anwricana. 


Nor  let  the  Muse,  In  her  award  of  f.iim;, 
Ilhistrious  I'erili,  uniioiiced  p;iss  thy  claim, 
Prince  of  the  prickly  cnhurt,  hred  in  lakes, 
To  feast  our  boards,  what  sapid  boneless  flakes 
Thy  solid  llesh  supplies  I   thmiyli  overfed, 
No  dantier  fish  in  ocean's  pastures  bred 


Swims  thy  compeer. 


AusoNius,  The  Moselle. 


'T'HE  apostrophe  of  Ausonius  was  prophetic,  for  his  words  apply  much 
more  exactly  to  the  species  of  Moniiic  now  under  discussion  than  to 
the  Pcrca  which  the  poet  had  in  mind. 

This  fish,  closely  related  to  the  Yellow  Bass,  occurs  in  brackish  water 
in  the  mouths  of  rivers,  and  even,  in  many  instances,  in  fresh-water  ponds, 
where  it  had  become  land-locked,  and  all  along  the  coast  from  Georgetown, 
S.  C,  to  Nova  Scotia.  Dr.  Yarrow  states  that  it  abounds  in  the  Tar  and 
Neuse  Rivers,  N,  C.  In  the  Chesapeake  and  tributary  streams  it  is  ex- 
ceedingly abundant.  It  also  abounds  in  the  lakes  and  streams  of  the  St.  John 
River,  New  Brunswick,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.  It 
has  been  claimed  by  certain  observers  in  Florida  that  White  Perch  were 
formerly  abundant  in  that  region,  and  the  marketmen  of  New  Orleans 
state  that  they  were  common  in  Lake  Pontchartrain  until  the  Bonnet 
Carre  Crevasse  changed  the  water  from  salt  to  fresh.  Mr.  Stearns  and 
Prof.  Jordan  having  investigated  the  subject,  are  of  the  opinion  that  these 
theorists  are  mistaken. 


36 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  habits  of  this  fish  have  been  but  little  observed  ;  in  fact,  it  has 
been  the  custom  of  nearly  all  writers  on  game  fishes  to  speak  lightly  of  it. 
It  found  an  earnest  advocate  in  Mr.  Thaddeus  Norris,  who,  after  protest- 
ing strenuously  against  the  statement  of  various  writers  that  it  is  rarely 
brought  to  market  for  food  ;  that  it  is  only  fit  for  chowder ;  that  it  is  not 
of  sufficient  importance  to  merit  particular  notice,  and  so  on,  goes  on  to 
state,  what  is  undoubtedly  true,  that  in  season  the  White  Perch  is  the  pan- 
fish,  excelled  by  none  in  the  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Washington,  Norfolk 
and  Richmond  markets  ;  and  he  might  have  added,  had  he  been  writing 
at  the  present  time,  of  the  New  York  market  also,  for  there  is,  probably, 
no  fish  of  its  size  which  is  more  universally  popular  throughout  the  Eastern 
States  than  the  White  Perch. 

In  a  single  paragraph,  Mr.  Norris,  who,  making  no  professions  of 
scientific  skill,  has  been  one  of  our  best  observers  of  fishes,  has  given 
almost  the  only  reliable  information  which  has  ever  been  collected  regard- 
ing this  species.  "  Its  most  natural  habitat  is  in  fresh  tidal  rivers,  where 
it  is  found  on  flat  clay  and  muddy  bottoms,  and  in  shallow  water.  It  is 
frequently  found  far  above  the  terminus  of  the  tide,  and  is  often  more 
abundant  in  fresh  than  in  brackish  water  in  the  season  of  the  year  when 
sought  for  by  anglers.  This  fish,  when  found  in  salt  water  creeks,  is 
darker  in  color,  but  there  is  no  specific  difference.  The  White  Perch  is  a 
congener  of  the  magnificent  rock-fish,  and  is  frequently  found  feeding  in  the 
same  place  and  in  his  company.  Its  average  length  is  eight  or  nine  inches  ; 
it  is  not  often  more  than  twelve,  though  in  rare  instances  it  is  found  four- 
teen inches  long.  White  Perch  hibernate  in  the  deep  waters  of  our  bays, 
and  ascend  the  fresh  tidal  rivers  soon  after  the  ice  and  snow-water  have 
run  off.  They  feed  greedily  on  the  spawn  of  other  fish,  ])articularly  that 
of  the  shad;  on  insects,  crabs,  minnows  and  on  the  migratory  schools  of 
young  eels  which  are  found  in  the  months  of  April  and  May  in  great 
numbers  at  any  rapid  or  dam  obstructing  the  upward  flow  of  the  tide. 
Perch  usually  spawn  in  May,  and  then  resort  to  deeper  waters  to  recuperate, 
and  all  summer  long  are  found  by  the  angler,  ever  swimming  around  the 
deep-sunk  pier  or  the  timbers  of  the  rickety  old  bridge,  snapping  at 
shrimps  or  chasing  the  minnows  ;  at  flood-tide  high  up  amongst  the  water- 
lilies,  and  never  refusing  a  bait,  if  of  the  right  sort  and  properly  presented. ' ' 

Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott  has  added  some  impoi^ant  observations.  He  found 
female  fish  heavy  with  apparently  ripe  ova  as  late  as  June  lo.     The  largest 


THE    WHITE  PERCH. 


37 


chools  of 


specimens  of  White  Perch  taken  in   the  Delaware  weighed,  respectively, 
one  pound  nine  ounces,  one  pound  thirteen  ounces,  and  two  pounds  one 
ounce.     These  were  caught  in  a  shad   net  in   May,  1865,  at   the  fishery 
opposite  Trenton.     The  average  adult  fish  may  be  said  to  measure  eight 
inches  and  weigh  from  seven  to  nine  ounces.      He  continues  :    "  I  believe, 
for  reasons  to  be  given,  that  the  growth  of  the  young  is  very  rapid,  and 
that  the  August  Perch  are  young,  hatched  late  in  the  preceding  May  and 
April ;  in  June   these  August   Perch  measuring  about  two-and-a-half  to 
three  inches  in  length.      ...     I  should  judge  that  spawning  occurred 
between  May  10  and  June   10,  usually  nearer  the  former  than  the  latter 
date.     This  is  based  on  the  fact  of  having  gathered  very  young  fish,  the 
age  of  which  \  guessed  {xoxs\  the  general  condition  and  amount  of  develop- 
ment of  the  specimens.     After  the  middle  of  June   the  White   Perch  are 
found  in  localities  widely  different ;   even  waters  with   a  dense  growth  of 
lily  and  river  weeu     -f^  found  to  contain  them  in  apparent  health  and 
vigor — spots  where  the  K    ,k  fish  could  not  live  a  day.     Still  later  in  the 
summer,  as  the  young  Perch  become  ([uite  strong  and  of  some  size,  the 
river,  although  in  and  above  tide-water,  fairly  teems  with  them.     At  this 
season  they  go  in  schools,   sometimes  of  large  size.      I  have  known   of 
twelve,  fifteen  and  twenty  dozen  August  Perch  being  taken  with  a  line  in 
as  short  a  time  as  from   three  to  five  hours.      Fishing  in   this  way  a  line 
with  half  a  dozen  hooks  is  used,  and  worms,  sturgeon  spawn  or  live  min- 
nows are  used  as  bait.     These  schools  of  small  Perch  I  supposed  to  be 
broods  of  the  preceding  May,  and  that  they  kept  together  until  late  in 
November.     They  pass  down  to  the  salt  water  and  there  separate.   Larger 
adult  fish  are  not  as  restless  as  these  smaller  ones,  and  are  found  in  deeper 
water,  and  usually  in  the  tide-waters.      In  their  feeding  habits  the  White 
Perch  agree  very  closely  with  the  rock-fish.      In  all  their  habits,  in  fact, 
the  two  fish  are  much  alike,  and  in  the  Delaware  they  are  always  asso- 
ciated, the  most  noticeable  difference  in  their  habits  being  the  ability  of 
the  Perch  to  remain  and  thrive  in  warmer  waters  than  the  rock-fish  is  ever 
found  frequenting." 

Harris,  in  his  "Game  Fish  of  Pennsylvania."  writes:  "When  taken 
with  a  skittered  minnow  or  bright  fiy  on  a  light  rod,  we  do  not  hesitate  to 
class  as  a  game  fish  the  AVhite  Perch.  Large  individuals  are  caught  on 
the  edges  of  the  si)latterdocks  and  in  the  eddies  around  the  piers  of  the 
bridges  spanning  the  numerous  creeks  that  flow  into  the  Delaware,  the 
bait  being  a  live  minnow.      At  night,  in  the  incoming  tide,  large  Perch 


ill^ 


i  r 


38 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


are  caught  in  great  numbers  with  the  worm,  in  the  waters  below  and  above 
Philadelphia.  The  angler  sits  in  the  stern  of  the  boat  and  fishes  with  a 
short  rod  and  line.  Perch  caught  by  the  above  methods  run  large  and 
are  gamy,  and  those  caught  on  rod  and  reel  at  Pennsgrove,  Salem  and 
other  places  further  down  the  bay  give  great  sport  on  light-running  tackle. 
I  see  nothing  to  commend  in  the  method  of  fishing  for  Perch  as  practiced 
by  the  "  bow-line  "  fishers  for  the  fingerlings  which  swarm  in  great  schools 
upon  the  bars  of  the  river  above  and  below  the  tide-waters  of  the  Dela- 
ware. It  takes  a  basketful  to  make  a  breakfast  for  a  small  family.  I 
have  seen  and  counted  a  catch  of  1,300  small  Perch  made  with  worm  bait 
by  three  lines  in  two  hours'  fishing  at  Titusville,  N.  J.,  nine  miles  above 
tide-water. ' ' 

It  seems  very  strange  that  no  attempt  should  have  been  made  to  intro- 
duce the  White  Perch  into  Europe.  It  would  thrive  admirably  in  the 
estuaries  and  sluggish  streams,  and  would  be  far  more  worthy  of  the  atten- 
tions of  the  British  angler  than  various  species  of  so-called  ''  coarse  fish" 
which  he  now  pursues.  It  would  be  a  great  boon  to  the  easy  going 
British  angler  of  the  Waltonian  type,  to  whom  the  pleasure  of  the  rural 
scenery  and  quiet  outing  is  of  more  moment  than  the  strength  and  vo- 
racity of  the  fishes  which  chance  to  encounter  his  lures. 


» 


THE  SEA  BASSES. 


So  gaat  het  hicr  :  dat's  Werclts  overvloed, 
(Waar  mee  de  Mensch  wiird  koninglijk  gevoed 
Door  guile  gunst  des  mildcii  gevcrs)  doct 

Hem  vaak  vergtetcn. 
Steenbrassrm,  Stciir  en  Dartien  en  Knor-haan, 
'E.nZc'f-Bitiirs  diu  geen  vorst  sal  laten  slaan 
En  Kabellau  :  en  Saliii,  die  (wel  gebraan). 
Is  vet,  en  vocdig. 
Jakob  Steenuam,  /'  Lou/ van  Niew  Nederland,  1661. 


44'T'HE  SEA  BASS  is  another  gentleman  among  his  finny  comrades," 
wrote  Frank  Forester.  He  belongs  to  the  family  Scrranidce,  the 
members  of  which  are  similar  in  form  and  habits  to  the  Perches,  from 
which  they  are  distinguished  by  certain  anatomical  characters,  scarcely 
tangible  to  persons  not  expert  in  ichthyology.  This  fiimily  contains  a 
very  large  number  of  species,  some  of  which  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  tropi- 
cal and  temperate  seas.  On  our  Atlantic  coast  there  are  over  twenty 
kinds,  while  in  California,  there  are  four,  at  least,  which  are  of  economic 
importance. 

The  Sea  Bass  is  also  known  south  of  Cape  Hatteras  as  the  "  Black  fish," 
and  is  the  most  important  species  on  our  coast.  In  the  Middle  States  the 
Sea  Bass  is  called  "Black  Will,"  "Black  Harry,"  and  "  Hannahills  ;" 
about  Newport  and  New  Bedford,  "Bluefish,"  and  at  New  Bedford  also, 
"Rock  Bass."  Curiously  enough,  the  Southern  name,  "  Blackfish,"  is 
in  use  at  Oak  Bluffs,  on  Martha's  Vineyard,  and,  it  is  said,  also  in  New  Jer- 


40 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


11 


sey.  In  Gill's  "  Catalogue  of  the  Fishes  of  the  East  Coast,"  and  in  Storer's 
"  Fishes  of  Massachusetts,"  I  find  the  statement  that  it  is  known  as  the 
"  Black  Bass."  If  this  was  true  at  any  time,  the  usage  has  since  undergone 
a  very  considerable  change.  The  species  should  be  carefully  distinguished 
from  the  Blackfish  of  Long  Island  Sound,  which  is  the  tautog,  a  member 
of  a  very  different  family. 

Under  the  name  Sea  Bass,  are  included  two  species,  so  similar  in  gene- 
ral appearance  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  discriminate  between  them, — 
so  similar,  indeed,  that  for  a  score  of  years  after  the  differences  had  been 
pointed  out  by  Holbrook,  the  Carolina  ichthyologist,  naturalists  refused  to 
believe  in  their  existence.* 

The  habits  of  the  two  are  so  similar  that  they  will  be  treated  as  one 
throughout  this  essay. 

The  combined  range  of  the  two  species  embraces  the  Cape  Ann,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  the  northern  part  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  has  not  yet  been 
determined  where  the  dividing  line  in  their  distribution  should  be  drawn. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  it  is  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  Hat- 
teras,  since  the  atrarius  type  prevails  about  Charleston,  where  indeed  Dr. 
Garden  obtained  the  specimens  which  he  sent  to  Linnaeus  to  name  and  de- 
scribe. There  is  doubtless  a  neutral  ground  occupied  by  both  species,  and 
the  determination  of  its  limits  would  be  a  capital  subject  for  some  enterpris- 
ing angler  to  investigate. 

The  extreme  southern  limit  of  the  Sea  Bass  appears  to  be  the  sandy 
coast  of  Texas,  where  Jordan  ascertained  that  it  is  rarely  if  ever  seen. 
Silas  Stearns  informs  us  that  it  is  rather  abundant  in  certain  rocky  locali- 
ties along  the  Gulf  coast  of  Florida.  In  Pensacola  Bay  it  is  seen  about 
the  piles  of  stone  ballast  that  lie  in  shoal  water,  and  also  at  sea  on  the 
fishing  grounds  near  the  entrance.  It  also  occurs  in  St.  Andrew's,  St. 
Joseph's,  and  Apalachicola  Bay  ;  and  to  the  southward,  where  there  is  more 
or  less  rocky  bottom,  showing  either  in  reefs  or  in  channel-beds,  it  is  found 
in  abundance.  In  the  vicinity  of  St.  Mark's,  Cedar  Keys,  and  St.  Mar- 
tin's Reef  are  other  prolific  Bass  reefs. 

It  has  only  recently  been  found  to  occur  north  of  Cape  Cod.  Previous 
to  1878,  there  were  on  record  only  four  instances  of  its  occurence  east  of 
Nantucket,  but  in  the  summer  of  1878  several  were  taken  in  the  Milk  Is- 
land weir,  off  Gloucester.     This  weir,  which  lies  on  the  west  side  of  Milk 


*  5.  furvus,  the  northern  form,  has  the  air  hladder  simple,  and  the  pectoral  as  long  as  the  ventral  fin  ;  5. 
atrarius,  the  southern  form  has  the  air  bladder  sacculated,  and  the  pectoral  longer  than  the  ventral. 


H  '.'iiii 


n  Storer's 
n  as  the 
ndergone 
nguished 
member 

in  gene- 
i  them, — 
had  been 
efused  to 

d  as  one 

1,  Massa- 
:  yet  been 
le  drawn, 
i  of  Hat- 
deed  Dr. 
;  and  de- 
cies,  and 
nterpris- 

le  sandy 

er  seen. 

y  locali- 

n  about 

on  the 

w's,  St. 

is  more 

s  found 

t.  Mar- 

revious 

east  of 

Hilk  Is- 

of  Milk 

tral  fin ;  S. 


•^    rr 


i;  < 


^  2. 


B    5 


f 


m' 


iil 


THE  SEA  BASSES. 


41 


Island,  almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  twin  light-hou>es  of  Thatcher's  Is- 
land, waylaid  many  southern  species  never  before  known  to  enter  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  among  them  the  kingfish  and  the  Spanish  mackerel.  At 
some  future  time  the  Sea  Bass  may  become  abundant  in  these  more  north- 
erly waters.  Like  the  scuppaug,  the  Spanish  mackerel,  and  the  bluefish, 
it  was  at  one  time  almost  unknown  to  New  England.  In  the  "  Catalogue 
of  the  Fishes  of  Connecticut,"  published  in  1842  by  Linsley,  the  species  is 
described  as  a  great  novelty.  However  strange  to  the  people  of  Connecti- 
cut at  this  time,  it  is  said  by  Storer  to  have  been  so  abundant,  between 
1850  and  i860,  that  fifty  or  sixty  vessels  were  accustomed  to  obtain  full 
fares  in  summer  about  the  Vineyard  Sound.  This  statement  is  probably 
somewhat  of  an  exaggeration. 

The  "Zee-Baars"  mentioned  in  the  verse  of  Steendam's  poem,  "In 
Praise  of  New  Netherland,"  which  stands  at  the  head  of  this  chapter  may 
or  may  not  have  been  Centropristis.  Mr.  Murphy,  in  his  translation,  gives 
the  exact  equivalent  of  the  Dutch  words.  :  — 

"  The  bream,  and  sturgeon,  drumfish  and  gurnard 
The  Sea-Bass  which  a  prince  would  not  discard 
The  cod  and  salmon  cooked  with  due  regard, 
Most  palatable." 

Schoepf,  writing  of  the  fishes  of  New  York  in  1787,  stated  that  the 
"  Blackfish  "  was  rarely  brought  to  New  York,  and  the  species  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  at  all  prominent  among  the  New  England  food  fishes 
of  the  last  century.  A  diligent  search  through  the  works  of  the  early 
writers  fails  to  bring  to  light  any  definite  allusions.  It  would  be  interest- 
ing to  know  whether  there  has  actually  been  an  increase  in  their  abund- 
ance, or  whether  the  apparent  increase  has  been,  as  with  the  Spanish 
mackerel,  due  to  the  introduction  of  new  modes  of  fishing,  or  the  discovery 
of  new  fishing  grounds. 

The  favorite  haunts  of  the  Sea-Bass  are  among  the  rocky  ledges  and 
"  spots  of  ground  "  which  are  so  abundant  in  the  bays  and  sounds,  and 
are  scattered  at  intervals  along  the  outer  Atlantic  coast.  Among  the 
boulders  and  ledges,  full  of  cracks  and  crevices,  which  mark  the  position 
of  these  localities,  there  grow,  in  the  greatest  profusion,  invertebrates  of 
every  order.  A  haul  of  the  dredge  over  a  good  fishing  ground  often 
brings  up  tens  of  thousands  of  minute  animals.  A  hundred  species  have 
often  been  recorded  from  a  single  dredging  by  the  Fish  Commission. 
Upon  such  feeding  grounds  the  Sea-Bass  congregate  in  great  herds,  rooting 


! 


i 


h! 


■n 


i 


4» 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


and  delving  among  the  holes,  in  search  of  delicacies.  The  best  Rass  grounds 
in  the  North  are  usually  covereil  by  water  twenty  to  fifty  feet  deep,  while 
off  Charleston  they  are  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  below 
the  surface. 

Throughout  the  whole  region  of  irs  distribution  the  species  usually  occurs 
near  the  shore,  and  also  in  spots  of  medium  ilepth,  where  suitable  feeding- 
grounds  occur.  In  the  Gulf  of  Me.xico  they  are  often  found  in  very  shoal 
water  ;  indeed,  all  along  the  Southern  coast  the  young  fish  are  found  close 
in  to  the  shore,  and  I  have  seen  a  great  many  taken  with  hook  and  line 
from  the  sea-wall  at  St.  Augustine.  The  temperature  of  the  water  affected 
by  this  species  and  by  the  red  snapper  corresponds  very  closely,  and  in 
most  instances  is  probably  not  less  than  50°,  though  on  the  coast  of  Con- 
necticut and  New  York  it  may  be  slightly  lower. 

The  Sea-Bass  is  a  bottom-feeding  and  a  bottom-loving  fish,  and,  it  may 
be  said,  rarely  comes  to  the  surface.  This  rule  has  exceptions,  however, 
for  Mr.  Charles  Hallock  writes:  "Although  the  Sea-Bass  is  a  bottom  fish, 
yet  once  on  an  outward-bound  voyage  to  the  southward  of  the  (nilf  Stream 
we  made  fast  to  a  ship's  lower  mast,  found  drifting  on  the  surface,  which 
was  covered  with  clams  and  bainacles  and  surrounded  with  Sea-Bass.  We 
caught  all  that  we  wanted  and  cut  loose.  They  weighed  from  five  to 
twelve  pounds  each,  and  were  all  male  fish."  Whether  or  not  those 
occurring  in  northern  waters  migrate  southward  in  winter,  or  merely  go 
into  deeper  water,  is  not  yet  ascertained.  According  to  Capt.  Edwards 
and  Capt.  Spindle,  they  make  their  appearance  in  the  Vineyard  Sound 
from  the  ist  to  the  20th  of  May  up  to  the  loth  of  June.  Capt.  Spindle 
states  that  no  stragglers  are  ever  seen  in  April.  Capt.  Edwards  declares, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  they  are  found  in  that  region  in  the  winter,  and  I 
find  in  my  note-book  a  statement  that  they  have  been  taken  in  the  Vine- 
yard Sound  in  the  winter  by  Thomas  Hinkley  and  others.  A  careful 
study  of  their  habits  would  form  an  important  contribution  to  zoology. 

They  are  somewhat  sluggish  in  their  habits.  The  temperature  of  the 
body  is  low,  being  very  nearly  that  of  the  surrounding  water,  and  their 
digestion  is  slow.  Although  very  eager  feeders  at  times,  they  seem  much 
less  fat  than  bluefish  of  the  same  size,  and  their  growth  is  less  rapid.  They 
seldom  leave  the  bottom,  and  there  is  as  yet  no  evidence  that  cold  weather 
drives  them  far  from  their  summer  haunts.  They  retreat,  in  all  probability, 
into  water  of  greater  depth,  where  they  pass   the  winter  in  a  somewhat 


'!■;' 


THE  SEA  BASSES. 


43 


torpid  state.  Like  tlic  taiito},',  they  a])i)car  to  liavc  a  habit  of  lyiii.t,'  under 
loose  stones  and  in  cavities  amon^'  tiie  rocks.  I  have  observed  tliis  habit 
in  the  tanks  of  the  New  York  Aiiuarium,  my  attention  having  been  called 
to  their  movements  by  Mr.  Fred.  Mather.  In  tlie  South  they  are  feedintj; 
all  the  year.  I  have  seen  them  taken  in  February  on  the  Snapper  Hanks 
at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Johns,  at  St.  Augustine,  and  along  the  wharves 
of  Charleston. 

The  food  of  this  species,  as  of  its  associates  upon  the  same  groimds, 
consists  of  crabs,  shrimps,  scpiids  and  small  fish.  It  is  stated  that  the 
intestines  of  mackerel  and  the  stomachs  of  menhaden  are  considered  the 
best  bait  about  Wood's  Holl,  Mass.,  while  further  south,  shrimi)s  and 
pieces  of  the  flesh  of  fishes,  such  as  small  sharks,  are  frecjuently  used. 
They  are  voracious  feeders  and  readily  attracted  ;  their  mouths  are  tough 
and  leathery,  so  that  when  once  hooked  they  are  not  easily  lost. 

Scott  states  that  their  feeding  time  is  during  the  lull  of  the  waters 
between  the  turn  of  the  tides,  when  they  are  easily  taken  by  the  angler. 
In  the  North  the  Sea-Bass  occupies  the  feeding  grounds  in  company  with 
the  scuppaug  or  porgy,  the  flounder  and  the  tautog,  while  in  the  South  its 
associates  are  the  red  snapper  and  the  various  species  of  grunt,  and  on  the 
inshore  grounds,  among  the  rocks,  it  occurs  in  company  with  the  sheeps- 
head  and  the  king-fish. 

The  breeding  time  is  believed  to  occur  in  July  and  August.  Mr.  Dyer, 
of  Naushon,  states  that  the  Sea-Bass,  when  they  come  into  the  pounds  in 
the  spring,  are  full  of  spawn,  ready  to  shoot.  Young  fish,  one  or  two 
inches  long,  are  abundant  among  the  eel-grass  along  the  shores  of  Southern 
New  England.  In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  according  to  Stearns,  they  spawn 
in  early  summer,  and  the  young  are  caught  in  July  and  August. 

The  average  size  of  the  fish  in  New  England  is  about  one-and-one-half 
pounds.  A  Sea-Bass  nine  inches  long  weighs  about  five  ounces  ;  ten  inches 
long,  six  to  ten  ounces  ;  eleven  inches  long,  nine  to  twelve  ounces  ;  twelve 
inches  long,  ten  to  sixteen  ounces  ;  while  the  length  of  a  three-pound  fish 
varies  from'eighteen  to  twenty  inches.  They  occasionally  attain  the  weight 
of  four  or  five  pounds,  but  this  is  unusual.  In  the  South  they  are,  as  a  rule, 
much  smaller  than  in  the  North.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  In  these  waters,  and  along  the  southern  part  of  the  South 
Atlantic  coast,  they  rarely  exceed  a  pound  in  weight.  Large  male  fish 
are   remarkable  on  account  of  the  presence  of  a  large  hump  upon  the 


44 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


1!     'I 


I'iiirH 


1 


top  of  the  head.  This  is  particularly  prominent  during  the  breeding 
siason,  and  at  this  time  the  colors  of  the  whole  body  are  much  brighter. 
The  colored  plate  of  this  species,  drawn  by  Mr.  Kilburn  for  Scribner's 
"  (iame  Fishes  of  the  United  States,"  represents  a  large  male  at  the 
breeding  season,  the  only  picture  of  this  kind  which  has  ever  yet  been 
made. 

The  Sea-Bass  is  of  interest  to  fish  culturists  as  being  the  first  marine  fish 
upon  which  the  experiment  of  artificial  propagation  was  tried  in  this 
country.  This  was  in  June,  1874,  when  Mr.  Mather  fertilized  a  number 
of  eggs  at  the  station  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  at  Noank, 
Conn.  These  eggs  were  placed  in  shad  boxes  and  were  watched  for  several 
days,  as  they  passed  through  the  early  stages  of  segmentation.  A  storm 
interfered  with  the  completion  of  the  experiment,  and  it  has  never  been 
repeated. 

The  Sea-Bass  is  without  many  rivals  as  a  chowder  fish,  and  for  boiling. 
Its  flesh  is  firm,  flaky,  and  very  sweet.  The  hardness  of  the  flesh  makes 
it  desirable  for  packing  in  ice,  and  prevents  rapid  deterioration  in  hot 
weather.  The  head  is  so  large  that  half  the  weight  of  the  fish  is  lost  in 
the  process  of  dressing  for  the  table. 

There  are  excellent  fishing  grounds  on  the  Savannah  Bank  and  others 
near  Charleston,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake  and  the  Delaware  Bays, 
off  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  and  the  entrance  to  New  York  harbor  and  in 
Long  Island  Sound,  and  Buzzard's  Bay.  The  latter  are  frequented  in 
summer  by  ten  or  twelve  Connecticut  smacks,  which  purvey  for  the  New 
York  market.  The  fish  are  carried  in  the  wells  of  the  smacks  to  Noank 
or  New  London,  where  they  are  kept  alive  in  floating  cars  until  needed 
for  shipment.  It  is  one  of  the  chief  recommendations  of  this  fish  that  it 
is  so  hardy  and  tenacious  of  life  that  it  can  be  kept  any  length  of  time  in 
confinement.  Thousands  of  them  may  be  seen,  swimming  in  perfect 
health  in  the  cars,  crowded  together  until  their  sides  are  in  contact,  and 
thus  they  are  often  kept  for  weeks.  Before  they  are  placed  in  the  wells 
the  fisherman  has  recourse  to  the  expedient  of  thrusting  an  awl  into  the 
side  of  the  fish  so  as  to  puncture  the  air-bladder.  Otherwise  they  would 
float  on  the  surface,  on  account  of  the  expansion  of  air  in  the  bladder  after 
the  removal  of  the  pressure  of  the  weight  of  water  under  which  they  are 
accustomed  to  live.  Several  of  the  Noank  smacks  are  usually  employed 
from  November  to  April  in  fishing  for  Sea- Bass  on  the  Southern  coast. 
These  supply  the  Charleston  market. 


THE  SEA  BASSES. 


45 


In  summer  several  steamers  make  daily  trips  from  New  York  to  the 
fishing  banks  off  Sandy  Hook  and  Long  liranch.  They  are  jiatronizcd  by 
thousands  of  amateur  fisherman,  who  seldom  fail  to  bring  back  trophies  of 
Sea-Bass  and  scuppaug. 

In  the  summer  of  1832,  Captain  Lyman  Bel)e  of  the  fishing  smack  Mary, 
of  New  York,  discovered  a  notable  fishing  bank  al)out  twenty  miles  to  the 
eastward  of  Sandy  Hook.  1832  was  the  year  of  the  "  great  cholera,"  and 
its  progress  was  the  one  topic  of  conversation,  and  Captain  Bebc  named 
his  new-found  fishing  ground  the  "  Cholera  lianks." 

Another  famous  reef,  known  as  the  "  Fishing  Banks,"  extends  from  off 
the  Highlands  of  Navesink,  past  Long  Branch,  to  a  point  about  opposite 
S(iuan  Beach.  Both  of  these  are  favorite  resorts  for  New  Yorkers,  who 
visit  them  on  the  small  excursion  steamers. 

An  artist,  visiting  the  Cholera  Banks  thus  records  his  experience  : 

"  Starting  so  early  in  the  morning  tiuit  his  eyes  are  still  heavy  with 
unexpendeil  sleep,  he  soon  finds  himself  on  the  steamer  in  company  with 
a  hundred  more  fellow  passengers,  some  of  whom  are  heavy-eyed  and  in- 
clined to  grumble  about  the  hour  of  starting,  while  others  are  cheerful, 
and  full  of  excitement  at  the  prospect  of  the  day's  sport.  Down  the  bay, 
through  the  Narrows,  across  the  lower  bay,  and  out  to  sea,  steams  the  little 
craft  on  which  they  are  embarked.  I'ast  the  red  light-ship,  and  twenty 
miles  due  east  from  Sandy  Hook,  she  runs,  and  then  begins  the  search  for 
the  Banks.  The  pilot  takes  ranges  by  several  of  the  big  hotels,  of  which 
so  many  have  i.een  erected  during  recent  years  along  the  south  shore  of 
Long  Island  ;  a  man  in  the  bows  takes  soundings;  and  if  the  day  be  clear, 
the  steamer  is  soon  brought  to  anchor  directly  above  the  reef,  and  a  hun- 
dred eager  lines  are  droi)ped  overboard. 

''  Once  at  anchor  the  fun  and  trouble  begin  together.  It  is  fun  to  catch 
fish  ;  but  seasickness  is  among  the  saddest  of  human  experiences,  and 
many  of  those  who  have  bravely  endured  the  pitching  to  which  the  steamer 
has  been  treated  ever  since  she  left  Sandy  Hook  suct:umb  at  once  to  the 
motion  that  succeeds  it  as  soon  as  she  comes  to  anchor,  and  rises  and  falls 
with  regular,  ceaseless  monotony  on  the  long  swells. 

"Apart  from  these  and  ridiculing  their  wretchedness,  stand  the  profession- 
als and  toughened  amateurs,  smoking  short  pipes,  hauling  in  fish,  making 
cruel  jokes  upon  the  condition  of  the  novices,  and  thoroughly  enjoying  them- 
selves. They  bait  their  hooks  with  hard-shell  clams,  skillfidly  toss  their 
leaden  sinkers  far  out  from  the  steamer's  side,  let  run  fourteen  fathoms  of 
line,  and  haul  in  Sea  Bass,  black-fish,  flukes,  rock  cod,  weak  fish,  porgies, 
or  whatever  else  comes  to  hand.  Once  in  a  while  a  line  goes  whizzing 
through  the  water  with  a  wild  rush,  there  is  a  protracted  struggle,  and  an 
ugly  customer  in  the  form  of  a  shark  either  breaks  the  line  and  escapes,  or 
is  hauled  on  board  amid  much  rejoicing. 


46 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  first  catcli  of  the  day  is  always  watched  for  with  the  j,'reatest  interest, 
for  upon  it  de])ends  the  ownershij)  of  a  number  of  small  pools  that  have 
l)een  made  up  amon^'  tiie  i)assen,t,'ers.  Other  points  to  he  scored  are  the 
largest  catches  of  the  tUiy  in  nunii)ers  and  weight,  and  the  catching  (jf  the 
heaviest  single  fish. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  anchor  is  lifted,  lines  are  drawn  in,  and  the 
steamer  is  headed  toward  home.  Then  comes  a  lime  of  great  interest. 
The  fish  are  (leaned,  sorted,  weighed,  examined  with  care,  ])asse(l  aroiuid 
for  inspection,  and  commented  ujwn.  Sjjecial  lots  are  laid  aside  for  home 
consumption  and  for  distribution  among  friends  ;  and  freipiently  those  who 
have  made  the  large  catches,  and  have  more  than  they  know  how  to  dis- 
pose of  otherwise,  raffle  them  off  or  present  them  to  the  crew  of  the 
steamer."* 

This  species  is  captured  in  great  quantities  in  the  pounds  and  traps  of 
Rhode  Island  and  Southern  Massachusetts.  Its  distribution  is  wide,  many 
of  its  haunts  are  unfrequented  by  fishermen,  and  it  is  probable  that  its  im- 
portance as  a  food  fish  will  increase  in  years  to  come.  In  1880,  over  350,000 
pounds  were  sold  in  New  York  city. 

There  is  a  small  species,  Scrranus  trifiircus,  resembling  the  Sea-I?ass 
which  has  been  found  only  in  the  vicinity  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  and  Pen- 
sacohi,  Fla.,  where  it  is  called  the  "  Rock  Black-fish."  It  occasionally 
finds  its  way  to  the  Charleston  markets. 

The  Squirrel  fish,  Serramis  fasciculan's,  is  a  beautifully  colored  species, 
usually  to  be  seen  in  the  markets  of  Charleston,  north  of  which  locality  it 
has  not  been  found.  The  following  paragraph  from  Holbrook's  "  Ich- 
thyology of  South  Carolina,"  contains  all  that  has  been  observed  regard- 
ing its  habits  :  **  Little  can  be  said  of  the  habits  of  this  fish.  It,  however, 
appears  in  our  waters  in  May  and  June,  and  remains  until  November.  It 
is  occasionally  taken  with  the  hook  on  tiie  black-fish  grounds,  but  is  never 
abundant.      Southward  it  ranges  at  least  to  Brazil." 

*  Harper's  IFeekly,  Nov.  i,  1884.  (With  illustrations.) 


Tllh:   lll.ACK  (JIIIMPKU 


THE  GROUPERS  AND  THE  ]E\V  FISH. 


Hugest  of  nil  lire  hsh  In  soa 

For  they  were  formed  by  liuavon's  great  King 

liefure  :ill  other  eartlily  thiiiL- 

V'/ii-  I  I'l'dA't'  i;/'St.  I>>\tn,/o>i  iMediajval) 


'T*HE  various  species  of  (Irouper  are  already  of  importance,  and  will  be 
still  more  highly  appreciated  by  the  anglers  of  future  generations. 
They  are  members  of  the  genus  EpiiicpJicliis,  and  other  closely  related 
genera.  The  Red  Groujier,  Epiiu'phclus  morio,  is  a  large  species,  some- 
times attaining  the  weight  of  for  ^y  or  fifty  pounds.  There  is  no  certain 
record  of  its  having  been  captured  north  of  Florida,  where  it  is  called  the 
"Brown  Snapper"  or  "Red-bellied  Snapper."  DeKay,  writing  in  1S42, 
stated  that  it  was  not  unusual  in  the  New  York  market  in  June  and  July, 
where  it  was  called  by  the  fishermen  '  Gropcr,'  or  '  Red  (Iroi)er';  that  it 
is  a  Southern  species  and  is  brought  from  the  reefs  of  Florida,  but  that  he 
had  been  informed  by  West  Indian  fishermen  that  it  is  occasionally,  but 
rarely,  taken  off  the  coast  of  New  York  ;  he  added  that  Dr.  Holbrook  in- 
formed him  that  it  was  brought  into  the  Charleston  markets  from  Florida 
in  the  months  of  January,  February,  and  March. 

Holbrook  wrote  :  "  The  Grouper  is  so  seldom  seen  on  our  coast  that 
nothing  can  at  this  time  be  said  of  its  habits  ;  but  in  confinement,  as  it  is 
brought  to  us  from  Key  West,  it  appears  very  voracious  and  bold,  taking 


48 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


II      !;i 


im 


'M 


food  even  from  the  hand  when  offered,  and  always  injuring  such  other 
species  offish  as  may  be  its  fellow-captives." 

It  is  often  taken  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  about  the  Florida  Keys, 
and  it  is  said  also  to  be  abundant  along  the  whole  coast  of  East  Florida, 
and  is  often  taken  on  the  St.  John's  bar.  Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke  writes  that 
it  occurs  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Smyrna,  Fla.,  where  it  spawns  in  bays 
and  inlets  in  the  months  of  May  and  June,  as  does  also  the  Black  Grouper. 
The  only  reliable  study  of  its  habits  which  has  been  made  we  owe  to  Mr. 
Silas  Stearns,  whose  biographical  sketch  of  this  species  may  here  be  quoted 
in  full : 

"  The  Red  Grouper  is  extremely  abundant  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in  com- 
pany with  the  red  snapper.  It  is  most  abundant  on  the  South  Florida 
coast,  and  is  found  throughout  the  year  on  the  '  grounds  '  at  sea,  and  in  sum- 
mer in  some  of  the  bays.  It  probably  spawns  in  both  places,  and  in  June 
and  July.  The  young  are  often  caught  in  Pensacola  Bay.  In  June,  1880, 
I  obtained  a  young  one  about  one  inch  in  length.  The  Grouper  is  more 
of  a  bottom  fish  than  the  red  snapper,  for  it  swims  much  more  slowly  and 
very  seldom  rises  to  the  surface.  It  is  very  voracious,  consuming,  as  is 
shown  by  an  examination  of  the  contents  of  its  stomach,  enormous  quan- 
tities of  crustaceans  and  small  fish.  Large  horny  crabs,  in  almost  perfect 
condition,  are  often  found  inside  of  it.  Its  movements  are  rather  slow, 
and  when  hooked  it  is  hauled  up  more  like  a  dead-weight  than  like  a  live 
fish.  In  South  Florida  it  is  extensively  eaten  when  procurable,  and  at  Key 
West  it  is  particularly  important,  since  a  large  fleet  of  smacks  is  constantly 
employed  in  carrying  fares  of  Grouper  to  Cuba.  In  West  Florida,  where 
red  snappers  are  more  abundant.  Groupers  are  not  in  demand  and  have  but 
a  small  market  value.  After  being  taken  from  the  water,  the  Grouper  is 
remarkably  tenacious  of  life,  and  will  live  several  hours,  even  though  ex- 
posed to  considerable  heat.  This  is  one  reason  why  the  Key  West  fleet 
prefer  Groupers  for  transportation  to  Cuba,  since  they  are  obliged  to  go  a 
long  way  to  market  and  through  warm  water,  and  no  other  fish  of  the  kind 
would  bear  crowding  and  chafing  in  the  wells  of  the  smacks.  The  Grouper 
attains  the  weight  of  forty  pounds,  and  is  an  excellent  food  fish." 

In  Cuba,  this  fish  is  called  by  the  Spanish  name  "  Cherna."  The  name 
"Grouper"  is  a  corruption  of  Garoupa,  a  name  given  by  the  Portu- 
guese to  similar  species.  In  DeKay's  time,  as  has  been  remarked,  this 
fish  was  not  unusual  in  the  New  York  market,  where  it  sold  for  from  six  to 


THE  GROUPERS  AXD   THE  [EW  FISH. 


49 


twelve  cents  a  pound,  thougli  its  llesh  was  considered  tough,  and  not  very 
highly  esteemed.  Gill,  writing  of  the  same  market  in  TS56,  said:  "This 
species  is  sometimes  sent  to  our  market  from  Key  West  and  the  reefs  of 
Idorida  in  May  and  the  summer  months.  1  have  never  seen  more  than  two 
or  three  exposed  for  sale  at  a  single  time  ;  it  appears  to  be  considerably 
esteemed,  and  is  sold  at  from  twelve  to  fd'teen  cents  a  pound." 

denio  Scott  writes:  "'The  (Irouper  is  an  excellent  dinner-fish,  ant! 
when  boiled  and  served  with  drawn  butter  and  shrimj)  or  lobster  sauce  is 
saitl  to  fidly  equal  the  turbot." 

The  Black  Grouper,  Epiiicplwltts  iiL;ri/us,  is  called  in  Florida  and  Texas 
the  "Jew-fish,"  and  at  Pensacola,  known  by  the  name  "Warsaw,"  e\  i- 
dently  corruption  of  the  Spanish  name  Gnasa.  It  was  first  brought  to 
notice  by  Holbrook,  who  had  received  one  specimen  from  the  vicinity  of 
Charleston  ;  north  of  that  point  it  had  not  yet  been  observetl,  though  it 
appears  to  be  abundant  along  the  coast  of  East  Florida  and  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke  has  obser\ed  it  in  the  Indian  River  region, 
and  communicated  the  following  notes  to  Professor  Bi.ird  ; 

"The  Black  Grouper  is  resident  all  the  year,  though  not  abundant. 
The  greatest  size  attained  is  about  fifteen  ])Ounds.  They  jiass  the  winter 
in  the  salt-water  rivers,  living  in  holes  in  the  rocks  and  under  roots  and 
snags  and  about  piles.  They  are  solitary  in  their  habits.  Tlie\'  feed  on 
small  fish,  particularly  mullet,  and  on  crustaceans,  and  breed  in  tlie  salt 
rivers  in  May  and  June.  Their  spawn  is  very  small,  and  pale  yellow. 
They  are  taken  with  hook  and  line  by  the  use  of  mullet  and  cral)  bait,  and 
are  seldom  seen  except  when  thus  captured.  They  are  much  esteemed  as 
food." 

In  an  essay  on  "Florida  Game  Fishes,"  published  in  llic  America  11 
Aiif^kr,  the  same  writer  says  : — "  From  a  deep  hole  in  the  Halifax  River, 
two  of  us  took  in  one  morning,  seven  groupers,  from  four  to  eight  pounds 
in  weight,  and  lost  three  larger  ones  which  broke  our  lines.  That  hole 
had  not  been  fished  for  years,  and  although  1  have  often  fished  it  since,  J 
have  never  taken  another  from  it." 

Mr.  Stearns  remarks  that  it  is  a  common  fish  at  sea  along  the  Gulf  coast, 
living  chiefly  on  the  same  s])ots  with  snappers  and  Groupers.  At  some 
places  it  is  found  in  abundance  in  the  bays,  and  lives  on  the  bottom,  feed- 
ing upon  small  fishes,  crabs,  etc.  On  the  fishing  grounds  when  fish  are 
being  caught  rapidly  it  is  not  of  unusual  occurrence. 


5° 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


■il 


A  very  large  Jew-fish  will  follow  and  finally  swallow  a  hooked  firh, 
usually  a  red  snapper,  with  hooks,  lead,  line  and  all.  If  the  line  does  not 
then  break  the  fish  may  be  hauled  in  with  gaffs.  The  Jew-fish  attains  an 
enormous  size,  and  specimens  weighing  from  eighty  to  one  hundred 
pounds  have  been  caught.  The  smaller  fish  are  quite  choice,  but  large 
ones  are  too  coarse  and  tough  to  be  salable. 

There  is  another  fish  which  is  also  called  "Jew-fish,"  or  "Warsaw," 
and  "Black  Grouper,"  of  which  only  enormously  large  specimens  have 
been  obtained,  and  which  is  entered  upon  our  catalogues  under  the  name 
rroinicrops  guasa.  It  is  a  fair  question  whether  this  great  fish  be  not  the 
adult  of  the  common  Black  Grouper  or  some  closely  allied  species,  the  ap- 
pearance of  which  has  become  somewhat  changed  with  age.  A  large 
specimen,  weighing  about  three  hundred  pounds,  was  taken  near  the  St. 
John's  bar  in  March  or  April,  1874,  by  James  Arnold.  It  was  shipped  by 
Mr.  Hudson,  a  fish  dealer  in  Savannah,  to  Mr.  Blackford,  who  presented 
it  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  A  fine  cast  of  this  specimen  graces  the 
Fisheries  Hall  of  the  National  Museum.  Professor  Poey,  by  whom  the 
species  was  named,  states  that  in  Cuba  it  attains  to  the  weight  of 
six  hundred  pounds.  An  old  Connecticut  fisherman,  who  was  for  many 
years  engaged  in  the  Savannah  market  fishery,  states  that  the  Havana 
smacks  often  catch  Jew-fish.  They  are  so  voracious  that  when  put  into  the 
well  with  the  Groupers  they  would  do  much  damage.  The  fishermen  have 
found  it  necessary  therefore  to  sew  their  jaws  together  before  placing 
them  with  other  fish. 

The  Spotted  Hind  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  Epuicphchis  Drummond-Hayi, 
has  been  found  only  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  at  the  Bermudas.  It 
was  observed  at  the  Bermudas  in  185 1  by  Col.  H.  M.  Drummond-Hay, 
of  the  British  army.  It  is  there  called  "John  Paw."  Specimens  were 
sent  to  the  National  Museum  in  1876  and  1877,  by  Mr.  Blackford 
and  Mr.  Stearns.  It  is  one  of  the  many  important  species  which  have 
been  brought  to  notice  by  the  labors  of  the  United  States  P'ish  Commission. 
Although  it  is  an  excellent  food-fish,  it  is,  even  now,  not  well  apjjreciated. 

Mr.  Stearns  records  the  following  facts  concerning  its  habits:  "The 
Spotted  Hind  is  common  in  company  with  the  Grouper  and  Jew-fish,  and 
is  most  abundant  in  South  Florida  about  the  reefs.  Off  Pensacola  it  lives 
in  the  deep  fishing  grounds,  in  seventeen,  nineteen  and  twenty-two 
fathoms.     It  swims  close  to  the  bottom,  and  is  of  sluggish  movements.     I 


Sir! 


Ill 


THE  GROUPERS  AND  THE  JEW  FISH. 


51 


have  not  known  of  its  occurrence  in  the  bays,  and  believe  that  it  spawns 
at  sea.  Specimens  weighing  fifty  pounds  have  been  caught,  but  that  is 
fully  four  times  the  average  six.e.  It  is  seen  daily  in  the  Key  West  market 
and  sells  readily,  but  at  Pensacola,  Mobile  and  New  Orleans  it  is  hardly 
marketable.  Its  color  varies  very  considerably  with  the  different  colored 
bottoms  on  which  it  lives." 

The  Coney  of  Key  West,  Epincphelus  apua,  the  "  Hind  "  of  Bermuda,  is 
an  important  food-fish  which  occurs  throughout  the  West  Indies.  Speci- 
mens have  been  sent  by  Mr.  Stearns,  who  remarks  that  it  is  common  in 
South  Florida  among  the  reefs,  and  is  often  seen  in  the  Key  West  market, 
where  it  is  readily  sold. 

The  Bermuda  Grouper,  Epincphelus  striatus,  one  of  the  most  important 
food-fishes  of  those  islands,  is  sure  to  be  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Key 
West,  and  will  probably  pre ,  e  to  be  one  of  the  important  fishes  of  our 
own  southern  coasts.  About  Key  West  and  in  the  Gulf  there  are  several 
species  of  the  sub-genus  Afycteropcrca,  which  may  be  grouped  together 
under  the  name  "  Rock-fish,"  the  name  by  which  all  fishes  of  this  genus 
are  also  known  in  Bermuda.  They  are  large  fishes  of  excellent  food 
quality,  similar  in  habits  to  the  others  of  the  family  which  have  already 
been  discussed.  The  material  at  present  on  hand  is  not  sufficient  to  ad- 
mit of  satisfactory  identification  of  all  the  species.  The  "  Black  Grouper" 
of  Pensacola,  which  has  bee',  variously  named  Mycteropcrca  brunnea,  J/. 
microhpis,  and  M.  stomias,  is  said  by  Mr.  Stearns  to  be  common  in  com- 
pany with  the  Red  Grouper,  although  not  so  abundant.  It  spawns  in 
June  and  July,  at  sea  and  in  the  inlets.  As  a  food-fish  it  is  considered 
superior  to  the  Red  Grouper,  although  it  is  not  more  readily  sold.  It  at- 
tains a  weight  of  fifty  pounds.  Professor  Jordan  is  of  the  opinion  that 
the  form  recently  described  by  Goode  and  Bean  as  M.  stomias,  the  "  Gag  " 
of  Key  West,  is  the  adult  of  that  previously  characterized  by  them  under 
the  name  Af.  microlcpis. 

The  Rock-fish  of  Key  West,  which  has  not  yet  been  identified,  is  said 
by  Mr.  Stearns  to  be  very  common,  and  is  sold  almost  every  day  in  the 
market.  The  average  weight  is  four  or  five  pounds,  the  maximum  twenty- 
five  to  thirty.  There  appear  to  be  at  Key  West,  as  well  as  at  the  Bermu- 
das, various  forms  known  as  "Rock-fish." 

An  allied  species,  Mycteropcrcafalcata,  is  called  at  Pensacola  by  the  name 
'*  Scamp."     It  is  common  off  the  Florida  coast,  living  near  the  bottom  in 


52 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\   i 


i^  V 


company  with  the  other  species  of  Groupers.  It  is  fouii'l  on  the  coast  all 
the  year  round,  and  is  caught  with  the  hook  and  line.  It  seldom  exceeds 
the  weight  of  twenty  pounds,  and  the  average  size  is  much  smaller.  It  is 
considered  an  excellent  table  fish.  The  Spanish  fishermen  of  Key  West 
call  it  "Baccalao"  (Cod  fish.) 

S.  C.  Clarke  refers  to  a  fisli  which  he  calls  the  "  Mangrove  Snapper  or 
Red  Grouper,"  to  which  he  attributes  gamey  qualities  far  in  excess  of 
those  mentioned  by  Stearns.  It  is  probable  that  he  has  in  mind  this 
grouper  and  not  a  snapper. 

Several  of  these  fishes,  whose  relations  have  not  yet  been  determined, 
have  been  taken  abong  the  Atlantic  coast,  particularly  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Chesapeake  and  at  Wood's  Holl,  Massachusetts. 

There  are  several  other  species  belonging  to  this  family  which  have  been 
observed,  none  of  which,  however,  are  of  any  economic  importance. 

The  Pacific  Jew-fish,  Stcrcolcpis  gigas,  is  one  of  the  principal  serranoid 
fishes  of  the  Pacific  coast.  It  is  also  sometimes  called  the  "Black  Sea 
Bass."  It  reaches  a  weight  of  five  hundred  pounds,  being  the  largest 
food-fish  on  the  coast.  It  ranges  from  the  Farallones  to  below  San  Do- 
mingo, and  is  generally  abundant  in  deep  water  about  the  islands,  but 
from  its  great  size  is  seldom  taken.  It  feeds  upon  smaller  fishes,  and  is 
voracious.  It  is  often  taken  by  swallowing  a  white-fish  when  the  latter  is 
on  the  hook.  Its  flesh  is  of  excellent  quality,  and  those  small  enough  to 
be  available  always  brings  a  ver\-  high  price  in  the  market. 

The  Cabrilla,  Scrramis  ciathratus,  is  called  at  Monterey,  where  it  is 
not  common,  the  "Kelp  Salmon";  further  south  it  is  known  to  the 
Americans  usually  as  "  Black  Bass,"  and  to  the  Italians  and  Spaniards  as 
"  Cabrilla,"  a  name  applied  to  other  species  of  Serranus  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean. The  Chinese  call  it  "  Lockee  Cod  "  (Rock  Cod).  It  reaches  a 
length  of  eighteen  inches  and  a  weight  of  about  five  pounds.  It  ranges 
from  San  Francisco  to  Cerros  Island,  being  very  abundant  about  the  Santa 
Barbara  Islands,  where  it  is  taken  in  large  numbers.  It  lives  in  water  of 
no  great  depth,  chiefly  about  the  rocks.  It  feeds  on  squid,  crustacea,  and 
small  fishes.  It  is  an  excellent  food-fish,  similar  in  (piality  to  the  related 
Atlantic  species. 

The  Johnny  Cabrilla,  Serranus  nchulifcr,  receives  the  name  "  Rock 
Bass"  and  "Cabrilla"  with  the  other  species.  The  distinctive  Spanish 
name  of  '•  Johnny  (Juan)  Verde  "  is  also  in  frequent  use,  especially  at  San 


4 


THE  GROUPERS  A Xn   THE  JEW  FISH. 


S3 


Pedro.  It  reaches  a  length  of  twelve  to  twenty  inches  and  a  weight  of 
about  five  pounds.  It  has  been  taken  at  Monterey,  but  is  common  only 
from  San  Pedro  southward  to  Magdalena  Bay.  So  far  as  known  to  us,  it 
agrees  in  habits  and  value  with  the  preceeding. 


THK,  I!Kn  tiUOUPKU.     EPIN'KPIIKLL'S  MORIO. 

The  Spotted  Cabrilla,  Scrraniis  macuiofasciatus,  receives  the  same 
names,  "  Rock  Bass  "  and  *'  Cabrilla,"  as  others.  It  agrees  with  the  ])re- 
ceeding  in  value,  distribution,  and  habits,  so  far  as  is  known,  but  is  rather 
smaller  in  size.  It  is  an  excellent  food-fish,  and  from  its  great  abundance 
about  San  Diego  it  may  become  of  considerable  economic  importance. 
Its  range  extends  southward  to  Mazatlan,  it  being  one  of  the  very  few 
California  fishes  which  extend  their  range  to  the  south  of  the  Tropic  of 
Cancer. 


s 


,*.  I 


ill 


<  t  I 

I  I 


'IS   I 


!       'I' 


,,i      :  - 


'^SiT* 


'\\ii^^'?<     ""g 


THE  LAKOE-MOUTU  BASS. 


SuV 


THE  BLACK  BASSES. 


Fishing,  if  I,  a  fisher,  may  protest 

Of  pleasure  is  the  sweetest,  of  sports  the  best 

Of  exercises  the  most  excellent  ; 

Of  recreation  the  most  innocent, 

But  now  the  sport  is  niarcle,  and  wott  ye  why. 

Fishes  decrease  and  fishers  multiply. 


De  Piscaiione,  1598. 


TTNTIL  recently,  we  supposed  that  there  were  many  kinds  of  Black 
Basses.  Different  communities  christened  them  to  their  own  liking, 
and  naturalists,  misled  by  the  numerous  popular  names,  described,  as  dis- 
tinct, forms  which,  had  they  been  seen  side  by  side,  they  would  have  con- 
sidered the  same.  Twenty-two  separately  named  species  are  on  record. 
In  1873,  Prof.  Gill,  after  studying  specimens  gathered  from  all  parts 
of  the  United  States  by  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  came  to  the  decision 
that  there  were  only  two  species,  the  Large-mouthed  and  the  Small-mouthed 
bass.  This  was  easy  work  for  so  accomplished  an  ichthyologist  as  Gill, 
but  the  difficulty  was  to  determine  the  ownership  of  the  many  names 
already  established  in  the  literature  of  ichthyology.  After  five  years  of 
uncertainty,  and  several  changes,  thirteen  of  these  have  been  allotted  to 
the  Small-mouth,  and  the  remainder  of  nine  to  its  cousin  with  the  long  jaw. 
The  oldest  name  for  the  Large-mouth  is  Micropicnis  salmoidcs,  and  for  the 
Small -mouth,  as  Henshall  has  proved,  Microptcnts  Dolomici :  it  is  hoped 
that  this  decision,  which  is  grounded  upon  a  firm  foundation  of  priority, 
maybe  permitted  to  stand  unchanged.  Gill's  paper,  in  which  he  defines 
the  differences  between  the  two  species,  was  published  in  1873  in  the  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science. 


THE  BLACK  BASSES. 


55 


This  volume  is,  however,  not  easily  accessible,  and  the  important 
differences  are  therefore  repeated  in  this  jilace.  In  the  Large-mouth  the 
upjjer  jaw  extends  far  behind  the  eye;  in  the  other  to  a  jioint  below  it. 
The  Large-mouth  has  from  sixty-five  to  seventy  rows  between  the  gill- 
opening  and  the  base  of  the  tail,  instead  of  seventy-two  or  more,  while  on 
the  cheek  there  are  about  ten  oblique  rows  instead  of  seventeen,  also  seven- 
and-a-half  to  eight  instead  of  eleven  rows  between  the  lateral  line  and 
the  dorsal.  There  are  other  distinctions,  such  as  the  absence,  in  the  Large- 
mouth,  of  scales  on  the  bases  of  the  dorsal  and  anal  fins,  the  smaller  ntnn- 
ber  of  rays  in  the  pectoral  fins  (there  being  thirteen  or  fourteen  instead  of 
sixteen  or  seventeen),  and  the  lesser  height  of  the  spinous  dorsal.  (In  the 
Large-mouth  the  first  dorsal  spin  is  one-half;  in  the  Small-mouth,  one- 
third  of  the  height  of  the  third  dorsal  spin). 

///'  - 


THE  SMALLMOrril  BASS. 

Numerous  as  have  been  the  zoological  names,  they  are  outnumbered  by 
the  popular  names  still  in  use  in  different  localities.  Charlevoix,  a  Jesuit 
missionary,  who  explored  Canada  in  1 7  2 1 ,  mentions  a  fish  called  ' '  Achigan , ' ' 
which  is  thought  to  have  been  the  Laije-mouth.  An  earlier  allusion  to 
this  species,  which  in  the  Southern  States  is  still  called  "Trout."  occurs 
in  the  writings  of  Rene  de  Laudonniere,  who  described  the  incidents  of 
the  first  Huguenot  expedition  to  Florida  in  1652,  under  the  command  of 
Jean  Ribault.  The  Large-mouth  is  known  in  the  Great  Lake  Region, 
especially  in  Northern  New  York,  as  the  "Oswego  Bass."  This  name 
should  not  be  confounded  with  "  Otsego  Bass,"  a  local  name  for  the  com- 
mon whitefish.  In  Kentucky,  and  possibly  in  Florida,  it  is  called 
"  Jumper  ;"  in  Indiana,  "  Moss  Bass  ;"  in  the  Southern  Strtes  generally, 
"  Trout,"  though  on  the  Tar  River  of  North  Carolina,  it  is  called  "  Chub," 
and  on  the  Neuse,  "  Welshman." 


i: 


Ii,i 


a 


I  '■       S>' 


i'l 


S6 


AMERJCAX  FISJIES. 


The  Small -mouth  shares  with  the  Larfjfe-mouth  in  the  Southern  States  the 
names  "Jumper,"  "  Pearch  "  and  "Trout,"  and  in  Alabama,  according 
to  Prof.  Jordan,  it  is  called  the  "  Mountain  Trout.  "Bronze-backer"  is 
one  of  its  pet  names  among  the  anglers. 

"Marsh  Bass,"  "River  Bass,"  "  Rock  Bass,"  "  Slough  Bass,"  "  White 
Bass,"  "Green  Bass,"  "Spotted  Bass,"  "Green  Perch,"  "Yellow 
Perch,"  "  Black  Perch  "  and  "  Speckled  Hen  "  are  other  names  applied 
to  one  or  both  species.  A  comedy  of  errors  this  hath  surely  been,  and 
the  colloquy  between  the  Duke  and  the  Dromios  comes  pat  to  the  pen  : 

'■'■Duke.  One  of  tlic-se  men  is  genius  to  the  other  ; 
And  so  of  these.     Which  is  the  natural  man, 
And  which  the  spirit  ?    Who  deciphers  them  ? 

Droinio  of  Syracuse.  I,  sir,  am  Dromio  ;  command  him  away. 
Dfoiitio  of  Ephcsus.  I,  sir,  am  Dromio  ;  pray  let  me  stay."* 

Both  species  are  very  widely  distributed  over  the  Atlantic  slope  of  the 
continent  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  their  range  is  probably  much 
Avider  than  is  now  supposed,  for  many  of  our  northern  and  western  waters 
are  still  unexplored.  The  Large-mouth  and  Small-mouth  dwell  together  in 
the  Great  Lakes,  and  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Missis- 
sippi basins.  The  Small-mouth  is  found  north  to  latitude  47°  and  west  to 
Wisconsin,  while  southward  it  ranges  to  latitude  2)Z° ■>  where  Prof.  Jordan 
found  it  in  the  headwaters  of  the  Chattahoochee  and  Ocmulgee  Rivers, 
this  being  the  only  instance  of  its  presence  in  a  stream  emptying  east 
of  the  Alleghanies,  into  which  it  is  not  known  to  have  been  introduced  by 
man.  The  Large-mouth  ranges  further  to  the  west  and  north,  occurring 
in  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  perhaps  as  far  as  ALanitoba,  in  latitude  50°. 
It  abounds  in  all  the  rivers  of  the  Southern  States,  from  the  James  to  the 
St.  John,  and  in  the  lower  reaches  of  the  streams  and  bayous  connected 
with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  around  to  Texas,  in  latitude  27°. 

To  the  waters  of  New  England  and  the  eastern  part  of  the  Middle  States 
they  are  not  native.  The  Small-mouths  found  their  way  into  the  Hudson 
in  1825  or  soon  after,  through  the  newly-opened  Erie  Canal,  and  they 
have  since  been  introduced  by  man  into  hundreds  of  eastern  lakes  and 
rivers.      Many  circumstances  suggest  the  idea   that  in   early  days,  before 


*  For  fuller  information  upon  this  and  other  matters  connected  with  the  species  the  reader  is  referred  to  Dr. 
J.  A.  Henshall's  elaborate  and  exh.austive  illustrated  treatise,  entitled  "  Book  of  the  Ulack  Biiss,"  published 
in  1881  by  Robert  Clarke  &  Co.,  Cincinnati.  "  Fly  fishing  for  Bl.ick  B.ass,"  a  serial  publication  by  W.  S. 
Norris,  in  The  American  Angler ,  is  an  exceedingly  well-written  sketch  in  the  American  style. 


/'///•;   /U..ICK  J^ASS/.S. 


5/ 


tlic  various  drainaLjc  systnus  wciv  < oniicctL'd  hv  car.als.  the  distribution 
limitsof  the  two  sitccics  were  iiuk  h  more  sharplv  derined,  the  Large-mouth 
inhabiting,  perhaps,  tlie  upper  jiurt  of  the  basin  of  tlie  (Ireal  Lakes  and 
St.  Lawrence  and  tlie  ri\ers  ot"  tlie  southern  seaboartl,  wliile  the  Small- 
mouth  was  found  chietly  in  the  northern  ]iart  of  the  Mississippi  basin. 
'IMiis  theory  can  never  be  demonstrated.  howe\er,  for  the  early  ichthy- 
ologists had  ncjl  adopteil  the  accurate  methods  of  study  now  in  use,  and 
their  descriptions  of  the  fish  they  saw  are  scarcely  good  enough  to  guess 
by.  'l"hc  mingling  of  the  two  forms  might  have  been  accomi)lished  in  an 
incredibly  short  time.  A  iijw  yotmg  I'.ass  will  multiplv  so  rapidl\'  as  to 
stock  a  large  lake  in  five  years.  The  Potomac  and  its  tributaries  swarmed 
Avith  them  ten  years  after  their  first   introduction. 

A  very  suggesti\e  incident  occurred  at  the  I'lrooklinc  Reservoir,  near 
Boston.  Nine  Dass  were  introduced  in  July,  I'^Gz.  l'"our  or  five  years 
after,  in  examining  the  water-pi])es  leading  thence  to  Long  roiul,  IJass  in 
considerable  numbers  ami  of  large  si/e  were  fonnd  ;  and  what  is  still 
more  strange,  they  had,  either  as  young  fish,  or  in  the  egg  state,  gone 
through  the  screen  at  the  mouth  of  the  i)ipe  and  found  their  way  into  the 
pond  itself,  having  accomplished  an  undergronnd  journey  of  fifteen  miles 
through  a  brick  aqueduct  nowhere  more  than  six  feet  m  diameter. 

( ".  ill  states  that  the  two  forms  of  Micropfcnis  have  long  inhabited  the  waters 
of  the  cismontane  slope  of  the  Ignited  States,  excei)t  those  of  the  New  luig- 
land  States  and  the  Atlantic  seaboard  of  the  Middle  States.  Only  one, 
however,  the  Small-month,  appears  to  have  been  an  original  inhabitant  of 
the  hydrographic  liasin  of  the  Ohio  River. 

The  Bass  do  not  seem  to  depend  closely  on  temperatnre.  Having  no 
opportunity  of  avoiding  the  c:ol<l,  they  sink  to  the  deepest  part  of  their 
watery  domain  at  the  approach  of  winter,  and  if  the  chill  penetrates  to 
their  retreat,  their  vitality  is  diminished,  their  blood  fiows  more  slowly,  they 
feel  no  need  of  food,  and  forthwith  enter  into  a  state  of  hybernation. 
Mr.  Fred.  Mather  kept  one  in  his  aiiuarium  nearly  all  of  one  winter.  It 
ate  nothing,  and  seldom  moved  any  members  except  its  eyes.  In  deep 
lakes,  however,  they  can  sink  lielow  the  reach  of  surface  chills,  and  here 
they  are  sometimes  caught  with  a  hook  through  the  ice.  In  the  South 
their  activity  never  ceases.  Any  one  who  has  seen  Black  Bass  feeding 
must  have  been  impressed  with  their  immense  j^ower  of  movement.  They 
soon  become   masters  of  the  waters   in  which   they  are  placed.      Sun-fish, 


I 


'i     '• 


'^i    I" 


5« 


l.\//:A'/i'.I.V  /■7S/f/'.S. 


|>i'r(  h,  titi'.it.  \.)iiii'_;  sil;ii  tii  aiid  i'\oii  the  ravi'iioiis  pic  kiTi-l,  iiiv  ili'\  oiiii'd. 
riu'\  t'i.'i'(l  ;it  tlu'  siirf.u  c  oil  moths,  llits  ;iihI  fro^s ;  llioy  turn  over  stones 
ill  sr.ui  li  ot'  c  r.iwlisli  ;iii(l  iiisi'<t  l;irv;t'.  K;its  mikI  snakes  have  been  seen 
ill  ihrir  stom  k  lis.  A  corresiiondeiit  of  l-'orcst  a lul  Stream  relates  that 
once,  while  lishin^'  in  tlie  Chicaj;*)  Kiver,  one  of  the  small  froj^s  iise<l 
lor  bait  escaped  and  perclu'd  on  a  portion  of  an  old  wreck  above  the 
water.  .\  lUai  k  llass  came  aloiij;.  and,  liftin,L(  his  head  from  the  water, 
picked  off  the  froj;',  and  descended  to  the  depths  below.  The  angler  funis 
them  at  the  projier  seasons  e<|iially  eager  for  llydiouk,  trolling-spoon,  or 
still  bait,  and  always  reaily  for  a  struggle  which  jiuts  his  rod  and  line  to  a 
seviMV  test.  Their  leajis  are  almost  as  powerful  as  those  of  the  salmon. 
The  negro  lishermen  K^ti  I'lorida  often  surround  a  body  of  I-arge-mouths 
with  a  seine,  but  as  the  lines  are  hauled  in  and  the  arc  grows  smaller  the 


ilark  forms  i.^ii  tlu 


rout 


liegin  \o  appear,  springing  over  tiie  cork-Iine 


rk-li 


and  returning,  with  a  sjjlash  and  a  jet  of  spray,  to  liberty.  I  have  seen 
them  rise  five  or  si\  leet  above  the  water.  They  are  said  to  lie  taken  best 
at  night,  or  when  the  river  is  higli  and  the  water  muddy.  Otherwise  they 
leapoxer  the  seine.  Mxpert  seiners  ct)il  their  nets  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
prevent  the  escape  oi  part  of  the  school.  'I'he  Small-mouths  are  said, 
generally,  to  prefer  ileep  or  swit't,  cool  waters,  while  the  liarge-mouths  live 
in  muddy,  black  pools,  ox  in  the  shelter  of  old  stumps  and  ledges.  In 
Florida  they  lurk  among  the  lily-pads  and  a([uatic  plants  in  shallow,  dark 
streams,  where  they  feed  on  a  grub  called  the  "  bonnet-worm,"  which 
burrt)ws  in  the  tlower-buils  of  tlie  '•  bonnets"  or  yellow  water-lilies,  yiiphar 

ili/Vt-llil. 

The   account   given   by  Laudonniere  of  the  abundance  of    this   fish  in 

Floriila  nearly  two-and-a-half  centuries  ago,  is  well  worth  ipioting  : 

"  Having  passed,"  he  writes,  '•  most  part  of  the  day  with  these  Indians 
(at  t'ape  Fraiuois).  the  captain  imbarketl  himselfe  to  pass  over  to  the 
other  side  o(  the  river,  whereat  the  king  seemed  Xo  be  very  sorrie  ;  never- 
theless, being  not  able  to  stop  us.  he  commanded  that  with  all  diligence 
they  slu)uld  take  fish  tor  us,  which  they  did  with  all  speede.  For,  being 
entered  into  their  weares.  or  inclosures  made  of  reeds  and  framed  in  the 
t'ashion  of  a  dalv/intto  or  nia/e.  thev  loaded  us  with  troiits,  great  mullets. 


>lai> 


turbuts   and   marvellous   store  of  other  sorts  of  fishes  altogether 


ilifferent  t'rom  ours." 

The  spawning  season  occurs  on  the  approach  of  warm  weather.  Its  date 
does  not  vary  much  with  latitude.  In  Florida,  in  Virginia  and  in  Wis- 
consin they  build  their  nests  in  May  and  June.     The  oldest  fish,  we  are 


TlfE  J i LACK  HASSl'lS. 


59 


told,  sometimes  anticipate  tlic  ordinary  season,  wliile  many  late  spawners 
are  orciipied  with  family  (ares  until  the  last  of  July,  ano  some  yoimg  li>h 
are  not  ready  until  October  and  \ovend»er.  After  the  spawning  is  o\er 
the  IJass  are  "in  season."  They  take  the  hook  eagerly  from  July  till 
November.  In  the  winter  tiiey  are  lank  and  black,  though  in  season  till 
the  ice  comes. 

Concerning  their  spawning  habits,  Mr.  Hallock,  of  the  IJlooming  (lro\e 
Association,  wrote  in  i<S75  ;  '•  pour  years  ago,  one  himdrcd  and  thirteen 
IMack  Uass  from  Lake  I'lrie  were  placed  in  Lake  (liles,  and  their  progeny 
has  increased  so  fast  as  to  insure  good  sport  to  the  angler  at  any  time. 
The  late  spawners  are  now  (early  July)  in  the  gravel  beds,  in  the  shallow 
waters  along  shore,  ])r()tecting  either  their  sjjawn  or  their  newlydiatched 
fry,  as  the  case  may  be.  It  is  interesting  to  note  the  i)ertinacity  with 
which  they  guard  their  prec:ious  charges,  and  the  vigor  with  whi<h  lliey 
drive  away  depredators  and  intruders  of  all  kinds.  'I'hey  will  fretpicntly 
allow  a  boat  to  pass  over  them,  scarcely  six  inches  above  their  backs,  and 
obstinately  keep  their  gromid.  Sun-fish  and  such  are  compelled  to  keep 
their  distance.  There  are  hundreds  of  these  bowl-shaped  excavations, 
eighteen  inches  or  so  in  diameter,  all  along  the  sandy  shallow  shores  of 
this  lake,  which  is  very  clear,  and  in  the  center  some  seventy  feet  deep, 
fed  by  bottom  springs." 

The  eggs  are  much  smaller  than  those  of  a  trout,  and,  being  heavier 
than  the  water,  rest  on  the  bottom  within  the  limits  of  the  nest,  The 
only  estimate  of  their  number  with  which  I  am  familiar  is  that  made  by 
Mr.  E.  L.  Sturtevant,  who  found  about  17,000  in  a  Large-mouth  weighing 
two  and  one-half  i)ounds. 

The  length  of  time  required  by  the  eggs  in  coming  to  maturity  is  esti- 
mated at  from  eight  to  ten  days,  the  hatching  being  somewhat  accelerated 
in  warm  weather.  The  young  fish,  when  first  hatched,  are  about  three- 
eighths  of  an  inch  long.  They  are  very  active,  and  at  once  begin  to 
feed.  One  observer  describes  them  as  darting  rapidly  about,  looking  like 
black  motes  in  the  water;  while  another  has  seen  them  lying  motionless 
near  the  bottom,  the  school  appearing  like  a  floating  vail  of  gauze.  Lor 
a  few  days  they  may  be  seen  playing  about  the  nest,  but  they  soon  dis- 
perse, to  find  lurking  places  among  the  grass  and  pebbles  near  the  margin 
of  the  water,  and  to  begin  their  corsair  career  by  preying  ujjon  the  larvae 
of  insects  and  the  minute  crustaceans  which  abound  in  such  localities. 


ki  11 


r.o 


.i.]//:a'/c.ix  /'7.s7//;.v. 


,:i 


Fill 


'riu-y  havi' anothiT  reason  for  si-t-kin^' a  slu-Itcr  in  the  shallow  watrr.  for 
tlifir  parents  arc  siirfly  guilty  of  inconsistent  conduct,  'riicy  arc  said  to 
care  tenderly  for  tlicir  «  allow  lirood,  and  even  tca(  li  tliein  how  to  eat  : 
but  this  must  be  a  mistake  ;  for  althonj,di  it  cannot  he  denied  that  they 
|ialit.'ntly  mount  i;uard  over  their  nestful  of  eggs,  they  are  often  seen 
desoiiring  their  newborn  «)rfspriiig,  who  thrive  in  the  very  teoth  of  their 
|ii..itical  relatives. 

'I'hc  rate  of  growth  of  the  young  has  been  studied  in  artificial  ponds. 
In  (iranby.  Conn.,  four-pound  tish  were  taken  in  1S74.  the  progeny  of 
two  hundred  and  lit'ly  tish  placed  in  the  pond  in  1S6S.  The  eggs  rccpiirc 
two  or  three  weeks  to  hatch.  In  September  the  young  are  about  two 
inches  long  ;  when  well  fed  they  grow  to  foiu"  inches  the  lirst  season.  At 
two  years  of  age  they  weigh  about  a  iiound.  lew  caught  in  the  North 
weighing  more  tlian  four  i)ounds.  I-eaving  the  egg  in  June,  they  grow  to 
two  or  three  inches  before  cohl  weatlier  begiii^ — trim,  spriglitly  little 
darters,  with  black  banils  across  the  bases  of  their  tails.  Anotlier  twelve- 
month tinds  them  in  the  garb  of  maturity,  eight  or  nine  inches  long,  and 
witii  their  i)rgans  swelling  in  preparation  for  the  act  of  spawning,  wiiich 
they  are  said  to  undertake  at  the  age  of  two  years,  and  when  less  than  a 
foot  h>ng.  The  ordinary  si/e  of  the  adult  tish  is  two  and  one-half  \o 
three  in)unds.  though  they  are  sometimes  taken  in  the  North  weighing 
six  or  seven  pounds.  In  Floritla  the  Large-mouths  grow  larger.  A  seven 
or  eight-pouniler  is  not  unusual  in  tlie  St.  John's  ;  and  1  was  told  tlial  in 
March.  1875,  a  I'lsh  weighing  nineteen  and  one-half  jiounils  was  caught 
in  the  lake  at  (Gainesville.  Fla. 

Fish  culturists  have  made  many  efforts  to  hatch  the  eggs  of  the  Black 
Bass,  and  have  never  succeeded.  One  reason  for  their  failure,  perhaps, 
lies  in  the  fact  that,  while  in  the  shad  and  salmon  the  eggs  fall  trom  the 
ovaries  into  an  abdominal  cavity,  whence  they  are  easily  expressed,  in 
the  Bass  and  other  sjiiny-rayed  llshes  they  are  retained  until  the  parent 
tish  are  readv  to  deposit  them.  This  failure  is  the  less  to  be  regrette(,l 
since  the  young  Bass  may  easily  transported  from  place  to  place  in  barrels 
of  cool  water,  and.  when  once  introducei.1,  they  soon  multi])ly,  if  protected, 
to  any  desired  number. 

Black  Bass  are  very  tenacious  of  life.  A  Germantown  correspondent 
mentions  some  taken  at  10  o'clock  a.  m..  sold  and  wrapped  in  paper, 
let't  in  a  warm  room  till  5  p.  m. .  when  they  were  found  to  be  alive  and 
well. 


Tur.  lu.ACK  n.\ssi:s. 


r.i 


TIk'  first  experiment  in   tlieir  transpnrt.itinn  seems  to  have   lieen  ih.it 
mentioned   l)y  A.  M.  N'alentine,  who  states   tluU  a  pond    near  Ianes\  ille, 
Wis.,  w.is  stocked  witli    lUack  llass  about   1S47.      In  1S30  .Mr.  S.  T.  Tis- 
(hUe  carried   twenty-seven  Large-months  from   Saratoga   I-ake,  N.  V..  to 
I'lax  I'ond,  in    Agawam,  .Mass.     'I'lie  manner   in  whi(  h   tlu'  I'otoniac  w.is 
stocked  wiili  Small-mouths  isalsowell  known.      It  was  in  i.S5_^,soon  after 
the   r>altimore    ami    ( )hio    Railroad  was  finished,    that    (len.  Shriver.   of 
Wheeling,  carried  a  numlier  of  young  fish  iVoin  the  '  )hio  to  Cumlierland, 
Md.,  in  the  water-tank  of  a  locomotive  engine.     These  he  placed  in  the 
basin  of  the  Chesapeake  and  ( )hi()  ("anal,  whence  they  soon  penetrated  to 
all  parts  of  the  Potomac  basin,  and  as  far  down  the  river  as  Mount  \'er- 
non.     The  custom  of  stocking  streams  soon  became  p()|)iilar,  and  through 
l)rivate   enter|)rise   and    the    labors  of  State    I'"ish  Commissioners   nearly 
every  available  body  of  water  in  Xew  England  and  the  .Middle  States  has 
been  filled  with    these  fish.       Tliis  movement   has   not  met  with  unmixed 
appro\al,    for    by  the  ill-advised  enthusiasm   of  some  of  its  a<lvocates  a 
number  of  trout  streams  have  been  destroyed,  and   complaints  are  heard 
that    the    fisheries  of  certain   rivers  have   been    injured   by   them.       Tiie 
results   have   been   on    the  whole  very  beneficial.      'i'he   Bass   never  will 
become  the  food  of  the  millions.     The  Xew  York  market  receives  ])rol)a- 
bly  less  than  10,000  pt)unds  of  them  annually,  and  they  are  nowhere  very 
numerous.      Vet  hundreds  of  bodies  of  waste  water  are  now  stocked  with 
them    in    suftuient    numliers   to   afford   pleasant  si)ort   and   considerable 
quantities  of  excellent  food. 

The  llesh  of  the  Bass  is  hard,  white  and  Oaky,  and  not  particularly  re- 
markable for  its  llavor.  When  sufficiently  large,  it  is  perhaps  better  that 
it  should  be  broiled,  and  served  with  white  sauce.  The  smaller  Bass  may 
be  treated  as  pan-fish.  They  are  not  well  suited  for  broiling,  excejU  in 
the  hands  of  the  most  judicious  of  cooks. 

The  r>lack  Bass  is  one  of  the  most  universally  popular  of  American 
fishes.  Even  those  who  know  the  joys  of  trout  and  salmon  angling  do 
not  disdain  it.  For  one  man  who  can  go  forth  in  search  of  salmon,  and 
twenty  to  whom  trout  are  not  impossible,  there  are  a  thousand  who  can 
visit  the  Bass  in  his  limpid  home.  There  are  many  methods  of  angling 
for  Bass.  Those  who  use  rod  and  reel  are  perhaps  not  unreasonable  when 
they  profess  to  pity  their  uncultured  brethren  who  prefer  the  ignominious 
method  of  trolling  with  hand-line  and  spoon-bait. 


I  ' 


i 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


I  shall  not  attempt  to  discuss  the  merits  of  various  kinds  of  tackle.  The 
dealers  in  angling  apparatus  can  usually  give  advice  both  timely  and 
suitable  to  the  locality.  Those  who  wish  to  enter  into  the  extreme  refine- 
ments of  the  art  of  Bass  fishing  must  read  the  writings  of  Dr.  Henshall, 
and  then  learn  for  themselves  by  long  years  of  observation  and  experi- 
ment, for  to  no  one  is  book-knowledge  less  valuable  than  to  him  whose 
desire  it  is  to  catch  a  fish. 

Bass  may  be  caught  by  the  use  of  artificial  flies  or  artificial  minnows, 
with  live  bait,  consisting  of  minnows,  chubs,  young  perch  and  many  other 
small  fishes,  frogs,  helgramites,  crawfish,  shrimps,  grasshoppers,  crickets  or 
worms,  or  by  the  use  of  spoon-bait  or  trolling  spoon. 

In  bait  fishing  a  light  rod,  about  eight-and-one-half  feet  long  is  used 
with  a  multiplying  reel  to  insure  the  delivery  of  the  bait  at  long  distances. 
In  fly-fishing  a  more  flexible  rod,  eleven  feet  long,  with  a  click-reel,  is 
preferred.  Strong  lines,  preferably  of  braided  raw  silk,  are  used,  and 
too  much  care  cannot  be  given  to  the  strength  of  leaders  and  snells,  and 
to  the  perfection  of  the  hooks.  Of  the  various  forms  of  the  latter,  Hen- 
shall  puts  the  "  Sproat  bend  "  first  and  the  "O'Shaughnessy "  second, 
using  Nos.  4,  5  and  6  for  bait  fishing  and  Nos.  2  end  3  for  fly-fishing. 

In  trolling  from  a  boat  at  least  300  feet  of  line  should  be  used.  Troll- 
ing with  the  rod  "  skittering  "  and  "  bobbing  "  are  other  modes  of  local 
l)opularity. 

The  Small-mouth  is  the  angler's  favorite  in  the  North,  being  the  more 
agile  and  pugnacious ;  but  in  Florida,  the  paradise  of  the  Big-mouths, 
few  complairts  are  heard  as  to  the  character  of  the  sport  which  they 
afford.  "J.  W.,"  writing  to  xX^^t  American  Angler,  June  31,  1862,  re- 
ported as  follows  the  weights  of  sixteen  taken  in  the  Homosassa  River, 
Hemard  Co.,  Fla.,  in  one-and-a-half  hour's  fishing:  yT,.^,  6i4,  51^,  51^, 
5,  4 14,  4,  4)4,  4i<,  4,  3.  2^,  2,  \Vx  ;  total,  68  pounds. 

The  introduction  of  the  Black  Bass  into  England  by  the  Marquis  of 
E;:eter  has  caused  great  consternation  among  British  anglers,  who  fear 
that  its  rapacity  may  lead  to  the  destruction  of  trout  and  salmon.  It 
has  many  friends  and  advocates,  however,  not  the  least  powerful  of  whom 
is  Mr.  .R.  B,  Marston,  editor  of  the  Fishing  Gazette.  It  is,  I  believe, 
intended  only  to  place  it  in  streams  inhabited  by  "  coarse  fish,"  and  the 
waters  of  England  would  sureb.  be  the  better  for  the  destruction  of  a 
goodly  percentage  of  their  breams,  roaches  and  barbels. 


,i»  • 


THE  BLACK  Fy ASSES. 


63 


I  have  already  often  iiuoted  the  opinions  of  tliat  wisest  of  anglers, 
Charles  Hallock,  and  I  cannot  otherwise  than  repeat  in  this  place  his 
prophecy  concerning  the  future  estate  of  the  Black  Bass. 

"  No  doubt  the  Bass  is  the  appointed  successor  of  the  trout ;  not  througn 
heritage,  nor  selection,  nor  by  interloping,  but  by  foreordination.  Truly, 
it  is  sad  to  contemplate,  in  the  not  distant  future,  the  extinction  of  a 
beautiful  race  of  creatures,  whose  attributes  have  been  sung  by  all  the 
poets  ;  but  we  regard  the  inevitable  with  the  same  calm  philosoi^hv  with 
which  the  astronomer  watches  the  burning  out  of  a  world,  knowing  that 
it  will  be  succeeded   by  a  new  creation. 

"As  we  mark  the  soft  vari-tinted  flush  of  the  trout  disappear  in  the  even- 
tide, behold  the  si)arkle  of  the  coming  Bass  as  he  leaps  into  the  morning 
of  his  glory  !  We  hardly  know  which  to  admire  the  most — the  velvet 
livery  and  the  charming  graces  of  the  departing  courtier,  or  the  flash  of 
the  armor-plates  on  the  advancing  warrior.  The  Bass  will  un(|uestional)ly 
prove  himself  a  worthy  substitute  for  his  predecessor,  and  a  candidate  for 
a  full  legacy  of  honors. 

"  No  doifl)t,  when  everyone  of  the  older  States  shall  become  as  densely 
settled  as  (Ireat  Britain  itself,  and  all  the  rural  aspects  of  the  crowded 
domain  resemble  the  suburban  surroundings  of  our  Boston  ;  when  every 
feature  of  the  pastoral  landscape  shall  wear  the  finished  appearance  of 
European  lands  ;  and  every  verdant  field  be  closely  crojiped  by  lawn- 
mowers  and  guarded  by  hedges  ;  and  every  ])urling  stream  which  meanders 
through  it  has  its  water-bailiff,  we  shall  still  have  speckled  trout  from 
which  the  radiant  spots  have  faded,  and  tasteless  fish,  to  catch  at  a  dollar 
per  ])ound  (as  we  already  have  on  Long  Island),  and  all  the  ai)i)urtenan(es 
and  appointments  of  a  genuine  English  trouting  privilege  and  a  genuine 
English  '  outing.' 

"  In  those  future  days,  not  long  hence  to  come,  some  venerable  piscator 
in  whose  memory  still  lingers  the  joy  of  fishing,  the  brawling  stream  which 
tumbled  over  the  rocks  in  the  tangled  wildwood,  and  moistened  the  arbutus 
and  the  bunchberries  which  garnished  its  banks,  will  totter  forth  to  the 
velvety  edge  of  some  peacefully-flowing  stream,  and  having  seated  himself 
on  a  convenient  point  in  a  revolving  easy  chair,  placed  there  by  his  care- 
ful attendant,  cast  right  and  left  for  the  semblance  of  sport  long  dead. 

"  Hosts  of  liver-fed  fish  rush  to  the  signal  for  their  early  morning  meal, 
and  from  the  center  of  the  boil  which  follows  the  fall  of  the  handfuls 
thrown  in,  my  piscator  of  the  ancient  days  will  hook  a  two-pound  Trout, 
and  play  him  hither  and  yon,  from  surface  to  bottom,  without  disturbing 
the  pampered  gourmands  which  are  gorging  themselves  upon  the  disgusting 
viands  ;  and  when  he  has  leisurely  brought  him  to  hand  at  last,  and  the 
gillie  has  scooped  hiui  with  his  landing-net,  he  will  feel  in  his  cajjacious 
pocket  for  his  last  trade  dollar,  and  giving  his  friend  the  tip,  shuffle  back 
to  his  house,  and  lay  aside  his  rod  forever." 


I   i 


■V,  m 


M 


'    \ 


/ 


''  .'^  Xy 


X 


I       1 


i    >i 


% 

li 

1 

1^ 

i, 

.iri£.' 

t 

/-)  ./t  "/^^l^  ^. 


TUE  SU.V-II^II,    LEPOMia  GIBBOSUS, 


THE  SUN-FISHES  AND  THEIR  ALLIES. 


Slowly  upward,  wavering,  gleaming 
Rose  the  Ugiulwash,  tile  Sun-li^h 
Seized  the  line  of  Hiawatha, 
Swung  with  all  his  weight  upon  it. 

*  ■.-.  * 

But  when  TTiawatha  saw  him 
Slowly  rising  through  the  water, 


Lifting  up  his  disk  refulgent, 
Loud  lie  shouted  in  derision 
'  Esa  !  csa  !  shame  upon  you. 
Vou  are  Ugudwash,  the  Sun-fish  ; 
Voii  are  not  the  fish  I  wanted  ; 
You  are  not  the  King  of  Fishes.' 

Lo.NGFELLOw,  llUivjatha' s  Fishing, 


'T'lIE  "  rumpkin  sccil  "  and  the  perch  are  the  first  trophies  of  the  boy 
analer.  Many  arc  llie  memories  of  truant  davs  dreamed  away  hv 
pond  or  brook  side,  with  twine  pole  and  pin-hook,  and  of  the  slow 
homeward  trudge,  doubtful  what  his  reception  will  be  at  home;  pole 
gone,  line  broken,  hooks  lost,  tlie  only  remnant  of  tlie  morning's  glory  a 
score  of  lean,  sun-tlried  perches  and  Sunnies,  and,  maylia]).  a  few  eels  and 
bull-heads,  ignominiously  strung  tlirough  tlie  gills  upon  a  willow  withe, 
and  trailing,  sometimes  dropi)ing  from  wMry  hands,  in  the  roadside  dust 
Then   in   later  youth  came   the  excursion   to  some  distant   jiond  ;   thf 


T'n-:  srX-FISHES  AXD    7'/f/-/R  AI.Lir.S. 


65 


early  start,  long  before  sunrise,  the  cane  ro<ls  trailing  over  the  tail-board 
(jt"  the  wagon,  the    lonu'  drive   between    fresh   forests  and  ([k:\\\  meadows. 


the  interested  faces  at  the  wavside  windows. 


Th 


en  at  the  i>o 


nd   tl 


ie  cast- 


ing of  the  seine  for  minnow-bait,  the  embarcation  in  the  l)o;!t,  the  careful 
adjustment  of  sinker  and  float,  and  the  hmg,  delightful,  la/y  day,  lloating 
over  jungles  of  eel-grass  and  meadows  of  lily  jiads  ;  now  pulling  in  by  tlie 
score  the  shiners,  Pumpkin  seeds  ami  perches  ;  now  passing  hour  after 
hour  without  a  bite. 

Just  as  the  nightingale  and  the  lark,  though  eminent  among  the  lesser 
song-birds  of  Europe  would,  if  native  t(j  America,  be  eclipsed  by  tlu- 
feathered  musicians  of  our  groves  and  nieailows,  the    perch  and  Sun-fi^h 


yield  to  the  superior  claims  of  a  dozen  or  more  game  fishes.  I'he  Sun- 
fish  and  the  perch  must  not  be  snubbed,  however,  for  thev  are  i>rime 
favorites  with   tens    of  thousands   of  anirlers  who   cannot    leave 


qu 


est  of  sport. 


-y 


vill  th 


rive  and  miiltii)ly,  almost  beyond 


Home   in 
elief.    in 


ds  and  streams  too  small  for  bass,  and   too  warm   for  trout  and  land 


pon 

locked  salmon  ;   and    I    prophesy  that  they  will   yet  be   introduced   in    all 

suitable  waters  lhrouL;hout  the  continent,  which   thev  do  not  now  inhabit. 


The  Sun-fish,  /r/i 


onus 


il'h 


OSIIS, 


is   th 


e    common 


Pumpkin-seed, 


or 


"  Sunnv 


)f  the   brooks  of  New  York  and   New   llu'dand.      \\ 


IS   everv 


w 


•here  abundant  in  the  Great   Lake   region   and   in    the  coastwise  streams 


from    Maine    to   (leorc:ia.       It    is  never   found    in    i. 


le 


^\ 


ISSlSSll)!)! 


\x\\ 


e\ 


except  in  its  northernmost  part,  its  distribution  corresponding  precisely 
to  that  of  the  perch.  Its  breeding  habits  are  thus  described  by  Dr. 
Kirtland  : 


This  fish  ])refers  still  and  clear  waters.      In  the  spring  of  tlie  year  the 


temale  ])repares  lierse 


If  a  circular  nest  bv  removing  all 


ree<ls  o 


r  otl 


ler  (lead 


aquatic  ])lants  from  a  chosen  s])ot  ot  a  toot  or  more  m  diameter,  so  as  to 
leave  bare  the  clean  gravel  or  sand  ;  this  she  excavates  tt)  the  depth  of 
three  or  four  inches,  and  then  de|)osits  her  spawn,  which  she  watches  with 
the  greatest  vigilance  ;  and  it  is  curious  to  see  how  (  arefully  she  g.iards 
this  nest  against  all  intruders  ;  in  every  iish.  even  those  of  herown  sj^ecies, 
she  sees  only  an  enemy,  and  is  restless  and  uneasy  until  she  has  driven  it 
away  from  her  nursery.  A\'e  often  find  groups  of  these  nests  i)laced  near 
each  other  along  the  margin  of  the  pond  or  river  that  the  fish  inhabits, 
but  always  in  very  shallow  water;  hence,  they  are  liable  to  be  left  drv  in 
times  of  great  drtnight.  These  curious  nests  are  most  fre(|uently  encircled 
by  a(|uatic  plants,  forming  a  curtain  around  them,  but  a  large  space  is 
invariably  left  open  tor  the  admission  of  light."' 


Ml 


% 


66 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


■ii    5  1    I 


I  r,  T'!H 


So  far  as  known,  the  breeding  liabits  of  the  other  species  of  Sun-fishes 
agree  with  those  of  Lcpomis  gihbosus. 

It  reaches,  in  the  hikes,  a  weight  of  alxnit  one-and-a-half  pounds,  and 
as  usually  taken  is  of  not  over  a  pound  weight.  Its  flesh  is  of  good 
quality,  similar  to  that  of  other  Sun-fish  of  the  same  size,  and  is  graded  as 
superior  to  that  of  tlie  jterch,  but  inferior  to  ihe  black  bass  and  white 
bass.  It  takes  the  hook  freely,  and  to  the  small  boy  is  the  perfection  of 
a  gome  fish,  while  even  the  exi)erienced  angler  does  not  despise  it. 

W.  C.  Harris,  in  his  "Ciame  Fishes  of  Pennsylvania,"  remarks:  "I 
confess  to  a  fondness  for  catching  the  *  pumjjkin-seed  '  upon  the  lightest 
of  light  fiy  rods  with  leader  and  line  of  a  sjjider-wcb  consistency.  I  have 
caught  them,  averaging  a  half  ]H)und  in  weight,  by  the  dozen,  with  black 
and  brown  hackles,  and  when  tliev  reach  that  size  thev  are  s(j  sjjrigluly  in 
their  play,  when  hooked  on  trout  ta<kle,  that  we  cannot  deny  them  a  niche 
in  the  gallery  of  game  fislies." 


THE  KKD  IIHKAST.     l.KPOMIS  AUIUTl'S. 

The  long-eared  Sun-fish,  Lcpomis  auritus,  like  its  relatives,  receives  the 
general  name  of  "  Sun-fish,"  "  Brim  "  {Bream),  and  '•  i'ean  h  "  {Pcrc/i). 
In  Pennsylvania  it  is  called  "Sunrerch"  and  "  Red  Headed  Bream," 
elsewhere  it  is  the  "  Red  Breast,"  '"  Red  Bellied  Bream  "  and  the  "  Red 
Bellied  Perch." 

It  is  found  in  all  ( oastwise   streams  from   Maine  to  Louisiana,  but  does 


TJIE  SUX- FISHES  AXD   THEIR  ALUI-.S. 


67 


not  penetrate  far  into  the  interior.  It  seldom  reaches  a  weight  of  much 
over  a  i)ound,  but  from  its  abundance  l)ec()ines  in  the  rivers  of  the  South 
a  food-fish  of  some  importance.  Like  the  others,  it  feeds  on  worms, 
Crustacea  and  small  fishes,  and  spawns  in  early  summer. 

The  Blue  Sun-fish,  Icpomis palliiius,  is  also  known  as  the  '•  blue  Bream  " 
and  "  Copi^er-nosed  Bream,"  and  in  Kentucky  sometimes  as  the  "Dol- 
lardee."  This  is  the  most  widely  distributed  of  our  Sun-fishes,  ranging 
from  New  Jersey  and  the  (Ireat  Lakes  to  Florida  and  Mexico.  It  reachi"- 
a  weight  of  one-and-one-half  to  two  pounds,  and,  in  some  regions,  is  an 
important  market  fish.  Its  habits  adapt  it  especially  fiir  cultivation 
in  ponds. 

Many  other  species  of  similar  size  abound  in  the  fresh  waters  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  and  are  known  as  "Sim-fish,"  ''Ih-eam  "  and  "  I'erch." 
Z.  cycmclliis  and  L.  )nc}:;alotis  are  uni\ersally  abundant  both  North  and 
South;  the  others  are  chiefiy  Southern.  All  take  the  hook  readily,  and 
are  good  pan-fish,  but  from  their  small  si/e  they  have  no  economic  im- 
l)ortance,  and  are  valued  chiefiy  by  urchins  and  negroes. 

The  Warmouth,  Clhciiobryitus  giilosiis,  is  well-known  throughout  the 
South.  The  names  '-Perch,"  "Sun-fish,"  "  Ooggle-eye "  and  •■Red- 
eye "  it  shares  with  others  of  its  relatives.  It  is  found  in  all  the  lowland 
streams  from  ^'irginia  to  Texas,  and  in  all  tlie  Southern  States,  and  is  gener- 
ally abundant.  In  habits,  food,  si/e  ami  \alue  it  agrees  closely  with  the 
Rock  IJass. 

The  Black  Warmouth,  Cluciiobryttus  autistius,  a  species  also  called  *'  War- 
mouth,"  "Big-mouth,"  "Sun-fish"  and  '*  doggle-eye,"  abounils  in  the 
trilnitaries  of  the  L'pper  MississijJin,  and  is  often  taken  in  Lake  Michigan. 
In  Illinois  it  is  an  imi)ortant  food-fish.  In  si/.e,  habits  and  value  it  is 
sufficiently  similar  to  the  Rock  r>ass. 

The  Sacramento  Perch,  Archoplitcs  intcrniptiis,  known  only  by  the  name 
of  "  Percl  "  a  name  aj)plie(l  in  the  San  Francisco  markets  to  many  very 
different  fishes.  It  hTs  been  thus  far  fi)und  only  in  the  Sacramento  and 
San  Joaquin  Rivers  and  tributaries.  It  is  abundant  in  the  lower  parts  of 
these  rivers,  large  numbers  being  shipped  to  the  market  in  San  h'rancisco. 
It  is  there  bought  and  consumed  mainly  liv  the  ('hinese,  who  value  it 
highly,  paying  for  it  more  than  fijr  any  other  fish  which  tluy  consume. 
Although  it  is  an  excellent  jjan-fish.  ^  ;.'ry  similar  to  the  black  l)ass,  we 
have  never  seen  any  of  them  bought   Uy  Americans.      It  reaches  a  weight 


1    ■     :!, 


6S 


AMERICA X  F/S/fF.S. 


of  little 
habits. 


more   than   one  i)Oun(l.       Nothing  distinctive   is   known  of   its 


'-W>/^ 


Tin:  liocK  r.Ass 


The  Rock  V>i\><<,  ^[i/i/'/opIifi's  /■///'i-s/r/s,\s  also  known  as  the  "Goggle- 
eye"  anil  '•  Red-eye."  All  these  names  are  in  general  use,  the  first 
being  most  common  in  tlie  Lake  region,  the  last  further  south.  It  is 
everywhere  abundant  in  lakes,  ponds  and  larger  streams  throughout  the 
(ireat  Lake  region  and  the  Mississijipi  Valley.  It  prefers  clear  waters, 
and  is  not  often  found  in  muddy  bayous,  it  is  a  hardy  and  gamey  fish, 
and  takes  the  hook  readil\-.  and  it  is  a  good  jjan-fish,  though  not  large,  its 
weight  seldom  exceeding  one-and-a-half  i)ounds.  Like  other  Sun-fishes, 
they  spawn  in  early  summer,  and  about  the  same  time  as  Black  Bass; 
and  kee])  much  about  sunken  logs  and  roots. 

The  Mud  Bass,  AciintliarLhiis  poniotis,  is  fi)uud  only  in  the  coastwise 
streams  of  tb.e  lowlands  from  New  Jersey  to  North  Carolina.  Its  habits 
are  similar  to  those  of  the  ^^'armoutl1,  but  it  is  similar  in  size,  and  has 
little  \alue  as  a  food-fish. 

Coifrarcluis  iiiacroptrnis  has  no  name  more  distin(-ti\-e  than  "  Sun-fish  " 
or  ••  Perch."  It  is  fi)und  throughout  the  lowland  streams  of  the  South 
from  North  Carolina  t(j  Florida.  Southern  Illinois  and  Texas,  ])referring 
generally  rather  deep,  clear  waters.  It  is  rarely  seen  in  upland  streams. 
It  is  a  fish  of  good  (juality,  but  small,  rarely  weighing  more  than  half  a 
l^ound.      Little  is  kni)wn  of  its  habits. 

The  Strawberry  Bass,  romoxys  s/^aroii/cs.  is  a  beautiful  fish  known  by  a 


THE  SrX-FISHES  AXD    TlfEIR  ALLIES. 


69 


many  names.  In  T,akc  F.ric.  and  in  Oliio  j,^cnL'rally.  it  is  the  "  Straw- 
berry Bass,"  '' Strawberry  Pen  h  "'  or  "  (Irass  IJass."  Tlie  names  "Bitter 
Head"  and  "Lamplighter"  are  also  ascribed  to  it  by  Mr.  Kliiipart.  and 
"Bank  Lick  Bass"  by  Dr.  Kirtland.  and  it  is  also  called  '•  I'.ar-lish." 
"Razor  ]5ack."  '•  C"hin(|uapin  iVnh."  ■•  Silver  Bass"  and  '-JiiL;-  bin 
Bass."  In  Lake  Michigan  the  name  •■  liar-llsh  "  is  in  general  use, 
giving  jilace  in  Illinois  to  the  name  "  Calico  llass."  'l"he  latter  is  among 
the  most  apin'opriate  of  these  designations.  ha\  ing  allusion  to  its  varie- 
gated colcjr.  In  the  South,  like  Amhloplitcs  niprslris.  it  becomes  a 
"  Cioggle-eye  "  or  "  (loggle-eyed  Pert  h."  The  Strawberry  Pass  is  found  in 
abundance  in  all  the  lakes  and  ponds. of  th.e  (Ireat  Lake  region  and  the 
Upper  Mississippi.  It  is  also  diffused  throughout  the  Missi>.siii])i  \'alley, 
and  ajijjears  in  the  streams  of  the  Cavolinas  anil  ( Georgia  east  of  the 
mountains.  Its  preference  is  for  (luii't.  <  kar  waters,  with  a  bottom  co\ered 
with  grass  ;  and  in  the  mudib.  sloughs  and  lia\'ous.  where  the  C'rappie  is 
abundant,  it  is  rarely  seen.  it  is  an  excellent  ]ian-fish.  reaching  some- 
times a  weight  of  two  or  tluee  ]ioun.<ls.  although  usually  weighing  not 
more  than  a  pound.  It  is.  like  its  relati\es.  ganiey;  but  it  is  not  so  \ora- 
cious  as  most  of  them.  'I'he  following  notes  on  its  habits  and  value  are 
from  the  jien  of  Prof.  Kirtland  : 


^^.. 


Tin:  sTiuwi'.Kiiiiv  ^,A^ss. 
"The  Grass    Bass  has    not  hitherto  Ijeen  deemed  worthy  of  consiilera- 
tion  l)v  fish  culturists  ;   \-et.  from  a  long  and   intimate  acuuaintance  v>iih 


¥<      A 


#1 


i 


iW 


70 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


!    ■ ;; 


its  merits,  1  hesitate  not  to  iJi-onounce  it  tlie  fish  for  the  million.  It  is  a 
native  of  our  Western  rivers  and  lakes,  where  it  usually  resorts  to  deep 
and  sluggish  waters;  yet  in  several  instances,  where  it  has  found  its  way 
into  cold  and  rapid  streams,  and  even  small-sized  brooks,  by  means  of  the 
constructing  of  canals  or  by  the  hand  of  man,  it  has  adapted  itself  to  the 
change,  and  in  two  or  three  years  stocked  to  overllowing  these  new  loca- 
tions. As  a  pan-fish,  for  the  table,  it  is  surpassed  by  few  other  fresh- 
water siK'cies.  For  endurance  and  rapidity  of  increase  it  is  unecpialed. 
*  *  *  The  (Irass  Bass  is  perfectly  adapted  to  stocking  i)onds.  It 
will  thrive  without  care  in  Aery  small  ])onds  of  sufficient  depth.  *  *  ^ic 
It  will  in  nowise  interfere  with  the  cultivation  of  any  number  of  species, 
large  or  small,  in  the  same  waters.  It  will  live  harmoniously  with  all 
others,  and  Mhile  its  structure  and  disjKjsition  restrain  it  from  attacking 
any  other  but  very  small  fry,  its  formidable  armature  of  spinous  rays  in 
the  dorsal  and  abdominal  fins  will  guard  it  against  attacks  of  even  the 
voracious  pike." 


Tin:  CKAppir;. 

Closely  related  to  the  Strawberry  Bass  is  the  Crappie,  Pomoxys  aiuiiilaris. 
It  is  the  form  almost  universally  called  Crappie  in  the  Mississippi  ^'alley. 
Dr.  Henshall  has  proposed  that  it  shall  be  called  the  "Southern  Crappie," 
reserving  the  name  "Northern  Crappie  "  for  the  Poinoxys  sparoidcs.^  It 
is  not  such  an  eas}-  matter  to  change  tlie  po])ular  names  of  fishes,  however 
flexible  may  be  the   terminology  of  the   ichthyologist.     Strawberry  Bass 


*  American  Angler,  III,  167 


THE  SL  X-J'ISJf  AM)   THEIR  ALLIES. 


71 


and  Calico  Ikiss  scliii  to  1)l'  \<jx\  a])|>n)i)riatL'  designation  for  Poiiioxys 
sparoidts,  and  has  the  aihlitional  advantage  uf  being  already  generally  in 
nse  in  a  larger  district. 

Eonioxys  annularis  is  also  known  hy  such  names  as  •*  Uachelor"  in  the 
Ohio  Valley,  "  Xew  Light  "  and  *' C'amiibellite  "  in  Kentucky,  Illinois 
and  Indiana,  names  gi\en  to  it  by  the  irre\erent  during  the  great  Camp- 
bellite  movement  in  the  ^^■est  nearly  half  a  century  ago.  It  is  also  called 
'•  Sac-a-lait  "  and  ••  t']iin<|ua]iin  Perth"  in  the  Lower  Mississippi,  and 
has  other  names  of  local  application  as  •'  Tin  Mouth,"  '•  Bridge  Verch,' ' 
"Goggle  Eye,"  "Speckled  Perch."  ••John  Demon  "  and  "Shad." 

It  is  also  often  confounded  with  the  preceding  species,  and  some  of  the 
names  of  the  two  are  interchangeable.  This  species  is  not  often  seen  in 
the  (ireat  Lake  region,  but  throughout  the  Lower  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries  it  is  verv  abundant.  its  vouult  swarm  in  all  the  mudd\  bavous 
along  the  rivers,  and  grc  *■  numbers  of  them  are  destroyed  in  the  fall  when 
these  bodies  of  water  dry  up.  With  the  e.xception  of  its  predilection  for 
muddy  waters,  I  know  little  in  its  habits  distinctive  tVom  those  of  the 
Strawberry  Bass.  Like  the  latter,  it  is  said  to  bean  excellent  fish  for  ponds. 
Both  take  the  hook,  feed  upon  small  fishes  and  crustaceans,  and  spawn 
in  spring.  They  grow  to  be  about  twcKe  inches  long  and  U)  the  weight 
of  a  ])ound.  Exceptionally  large  individuals  have  been  known  to  weigh 
three  jwunds. 

Among  the  Louisiana  anglers,  esi)eciallv  about  Lake  I'ontchartrain,  the 
Craiijjie  is  a  prime  favorite,  for  it  will  take  a  minnow  bait  as  promptly  as  a 
black  bass.  It  is  not  \erv  pugnacious,  however,  and  will  not  fight  as 
long  as  the  bass,  and  is  also  more  easily  tVighteneil,  re([uiring  greater 
caution  on  the  jiart  of  the  angler. 

A  correspondent  of  the  Ams/r/-*  describes  the  fishing  mi  Cedar  Lake, 
Indiana.  Angling  is  carried  on  I'rom  little  flat-bottomed  skiffs  and  from 
sail  boats,  with  bait  of  minnows,  worms  or  i)ieces  of  fish.  In  five  hours 
two  men  caught  fifty-seven  bass  and  eighty-two  Crappies.  Trolling  is  a 
favorite  mode  of  fishing  among  the  people  who  li\e  near  the  lake,  who, 
using  two  lines  with  spoon-baits  or  "  whirl,"  and  fishing  from  a  sail  boat, 
frequently  take  two  hundred  or  more  Crajjpies  in  ada\-,  besides  occasional 
pickerel,  perch  and  bass.  Two  men  fishing  for  pleasure,  took  in  June, 
1SS2,  in  the  course  of  three  days,  a  thousand  Crappies,  weighing  from  four 


*  "  J:>p  "  in  .hiu'yii.an  A>igicy,  ii,  S7. 


I     U     I;      i 


ill  11 


I," 


72 


A  MK  R/C\  I X  I'/S/I/CS. 


to  twenty-four  ounces  each.     Another  correspondent  of  the  same  journal 
writes  as  follows  concerning  Crappie  fishing  near  St.  Louis.* 

"Our  '  Crojipie,'  the  greatest  pan-fish  of  tlie  A\'est,  is  highly  esteemed 
by  us  for  the  tal)le.  W'c  have  seen  a  monster  Cropjjie  this  s|)ring,  weigh- 
ing over  three  i)oun(ls,  taken  at  Murdock  Club  Lake,  near  St.  Louis,  on 
file  Illinois  side.  We  consider  one  of  one-and-a-half  to  two  ])ounds  a 
large  one.  They  are  taken  about  logs  and  tree  to])s,  on  the  water's  edge, 
in  our  rivers  and  sloughs.  'J'hey  are  greedy  fellows,  but  as  soon  as  hooked, 
step  right  into  the  boat  without  a  struggle  for  liberty. 

"A  gentleman  of  this  place,  a  member  of  one  of  our  old  IVench  families, 
who  turned  the  scale  at  about  three  hundred  jiounds,  was  noted  for  his 
success  in  Croppie  fishing.  lie  would  ha\e  his  large  llat  toweil  to  a  tree  ; 
when,  tied  to  a  limb,  he  woidd  settle  himself  for  the  day.  on  a  |)illow.  phu  ed 
in  a  large  sjilit-bottom  chair.  Hauling  his  li\e  box  and  minnow  jiail 
alongside,  he  would  bait  two  hooks  attached  to  a  strong  line,  using  a  weak 
snell,  so  that  in  case  the  hook  should  foul,  he  could  break  it  loose.  He 
used  a  lloat  and  short,  stout  bamboo  rod  and,  shaking  the  bushes  a  little, 
'  to  stir  up  the  fish.'  would  select  an  oi)eniiig  and  carefully  drop  in  the 
minnow,  two  feet  below  the  surface,  pass  the  end  of  the  rods  through 
rings  in  the  side  of  the  boat,  light  his  pipe,  and  wait  for  something  to 
happen.  It  was  not  long,  and  after  the  fun  began,  it  was  the  same 
monotonous  lifting  out  of  fish,  and  dropping  them  into  the  li\e-bo\  all 
the  day  long,  and  was  continued  on  the  next,  until  he  had  brought  to 
creel  over  three  hundred. 

"  I  have  always  associated  in  my  mind  the  Croppie.  and  the  lo\e  of  ease 
and  ([uiet  of  our  old  French  inhabitants.  Motliing  could  more  truly 
re])resent  contentment  and  ease  than  the  ])icture  of  this  simple-minded 
old  gentleman,  on  his  annual  Croppie  fish  at  King's  Lake." 

*  "  St.  Louis  "  in  .■liiu-ruan  Ati^ii.-)-,  1,  J12. 


Tin;  ui:i)  sn.m'im.i;. 


SNAPPERS  AND  RI«:D-!\I0UTIIS. 


Th. 


slaiul' 


s  c'd^cs  arc  a-wiiit; 


Willi  Irccs  that  i.vcrhiaiicli 
'I'lic  sea,  with  siiiij;-liirils 


wclcuiiiini; 
'I'lic  curlews  to  ijrcuii  rliaiit;c, 
Ami  (lovis  fr. 'Ill  li.ilf-cli.^nl  lids  fsjiy 
The  rcil  aiul  I'lnplr  li-.li  iin  liy. 

Mijs.  IIkiiwmnc;,  .1/1  Islaiiti. 


'HE  Snappers  and  the  (In:  ■>  belong  to  dill's  laniily.  J''iistipo»tatiJ(C. 
[ordan  juits  tluni  Avitli  the  Spai'itin',  or  S(.a-I>reanis,  while  (Hinther  in- 
chules  them  in  his  nun  h  more  <'om])rehensi\e  ])i'r(h  familv.  'I'hev  arc 
among  tlie  most  wliolesome  and  almndant  ot'  the  t"ood-l"ishes  of  trojiical 
waters.  There  are  nnmerous  species  in  the  West  Indian  fauna,  hut  onlv  a 
small  numlier  are  suftuienllv  abundant  on  the  coast  of  the  I'nited   States 


to  merit  discussion  m  tins 


book. 


The  Snappers  and  0 runts  are  among  the  most  highly  colored  of  the 
tropical  fishes — the  tanagi'rs  and  grosbeaks  of  the  coral  reets. 

The  Red  Sna])per,  Lu/Jiuius  JUackfordii,  although  it  has  been  for  manv 
years  a  favorite  food-fish  of  the  (iulf  of  i\[e\ico  and  ICastern  Florida,  has 
but  recently  become  known  in  Northern  markets.  About  1X74  in(li\  iduals 
of  this  species  were  occasionally  seen  in  New  \'ork  and  \\'ashington,  and 
they  began  shortly  after  to  come  into  notice  in  the  c  ities  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley.      It  was  not  even  described  and  nametl  until   1S78,  when  a  study 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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74 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


;i  ! 


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of  tlic  notes  ami  measurcniL-iUs  obtained  in  Florida  contlrmcd  my  sns- 
l)i(ion,  which  had  l)t'cn  j,'ro\ving  for  years,  that  the  s|)ecies  was  new  to 
science.  The  name  I.utjaiius  IHackfordii  was  (  hosen  in  compliment  to 
Mr.  Mugene  (i.  l>la<  kford,  C'ommissioner  of  Fisheries  of  New  York,  whose 
enthusiastic  labors  have  greatly  aided  all  students  of  American  ichthyol- 
ogy, and  who  has  added  several  sjjccies  of  fishes  to  the  fauna  of  the  L'nitcd 
States.  The  genus  lutjainis  was  founded  in  1787  by  Bloch,  who  derived 
its  designation  from  Ikaii  Lutjixii^i^,  an  Asiatic  name  for  a  kindred  species  of 
the  group,  its  color  is  bright  crimson,  and  it  is  the  most  conspicuous  fish 
ever  to  be  seen  in  our   markets. 

Seven  years  ago  the  geographical  range  of  this  s])ecies  was  supi)osed  to 
be  limited  at  the  north  by  Savannah  Hank,  but  during  the  summer  of  i<S8o 
several  s))e(  imens  were  taken  along  the  coast  of  the  Middle  States  ;  one, 
nine-anil-a-half  i)ounds  in  weight,  off  I'oint  Monmouth,  New  Jersey,  Oc- 
tober 5  ;  another,  about  August  10,  near  Ulock  Island.  This  northern  ex- 
tension of  its  range  is  cpiite  unex])ected,  and  the  fact  that  e\en  stragglers 
find  their  way  into  the  northern  waters  suggests  great  possibilities  for  the 
future  in  the  way  of  their  artificial  ])roi)agation  and  introduction  along  the 
coast  of  the  United  States.  In  the  South  it  is  foinid  on  the  same  grounds 
with  the  sea-bass,  a  species  which  is  abundant  as  far  north  as  Cajje 
Cod,  and  it  is  hard  to  imderstand  why  the  banks  which  are  favorite 
haunts  of  this  fish  should  not  also  be  shared  by  the  Red  Snapjier.  In  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  the  Red  Snapper  is  exceedingly  abundant  in  suitable  lo- 
calities from  Key  West  to  the  Rio  C'iran<le. 

"  About  the  Florida  reefs."  writes  Silas  Stearns,  "  and  as  far  north  as 
Temjile  Bay,  where  there  are  reefs  and  rocks,  they  live  in  holes  an<l  gullies 
where  all  kin<ls  of  marine  animals  and  fish  are  most  abundant,  and  some- 
times, as  I  have  noticed,  off  Charlotte  Harbor  numbers  of  them  will  con- 
gregate about  a  solitary  ledge  i)rotruding  over  a  level  bottom  of  white  sanel. 
Throughout  this  southern  district  the  fishing  spots  are  small,  but  very 
numerous  ;  and  away  from  the  reefs,  where  the  bottom  is  chiefiy  sand,  it  is 
only  necessary  to  find  rocks  or  rocky  bottom  to  find  Red  Snappers.  Since 
it  is  impracticable  to  make  use  of  bearings  by  whit  h  to  find  the  fishing 
grounds,  the  fishermen  sail  about,  throwing  the  lead  continually  until  it 
indicates  the  proper  bottom.  Along  the  coast  from  T.mple  Bay  to  Texas 
the  bottom  declines  very  gradually  to  the  hundred-fathom  curve,  forming 
vast,  almost  level  jilains  of  sand.      In  these  barren  wastes  there  are  gullies 


sxAPPENs  Axn  REn-Morrirs. 


of  variable  si/e,  liavin,!^  nu  ky  bottoiiis  ;iii(!  tL-cniiiii;  with  animal  and  vfi;c- 
tahltj  life.  These  gullies  ik  (  ur  at  a  dejith  of  from  twelve  to  forty-fise 
fathoms,  the  water  in  them  lieiiiLf  several  fathoms  deeper  than  the  sur- 
rounding Ijottom,  and  more  ro(  ky.  and  in  the  deepest  parts  richer  in  ani- 
mal life.  Red  Snai)pers  are  e\(  ecdingly  abundant  in  these  places.  whi<  h 
are  the  so-calleil  "snapper  banks.'  I'Yom  'renii)le  liay  to  (!edar  Keys  the 
gullies  are  numerous  in  sixteen,  eighteen,  and  twenty  fathoms  ;  from  Ced.ir 
Keys  to  Saint  Mark's,  in  fifteen  and  sixteen  fathoms  ;  off  Saint  Mark's 
and  Dog  Island  there  are  a  few  in  five  and  ten  fatiioms.  From  Cape  San 
Bias  to  the  months  of  the  Mississijipi  River  occur  the  best  fishing  grounds 
in  the  (lulf,  so  far  as  is  now  known  :  gullies  ten  ami  fifteen  fathoms  in 
depth  are  especially  abundant  fifty  miles  west  from  the  cape.  West  of  the 
Mississip])i,  and  on  the  Texas  ( oast,  llu-re  are  a  few  whi(  h  are  in  twehe 
and  fifteen  fathoms.  These  grounds  are  found  by  the  use  of  the  sounding- 
lead,  which  shows  every  position  by  the  sudden  increase  in  the  depth  of 
the  water.  Red  Snappers  live  in  such  jilaces  all  the  year,  except,  per- 
haps, in  some  (jf  the  five  and  ten  fath(jm  ones,  which  are  nearly  deserted 
in  winter.  Off  I'ensac  o'a  there  seems  to  be  (|uite  a  movement  inshore  \\\ 
fall.  In  South  Florida  they  are  usually  asso(  iated  with  the  groujiers. 
which  occur  in  the  proportion  of  aboat  three  to  one,  while  in  West  Idorida 
the  case  is  reversed  ;  not  more  than  one  fish  in  ten  of  those  caught  i>  a 
grouper." 

Red  Snaj^pers  are  also  known  to  be  abundant  on   the  Savannah   bank 
anil  on  the  Saint  John's  bank,  off  Fastern  (ieorgia  and  Florida. 


The    Red  Snappers  are  strictly  carnivorous,    feeding  upon  small   I 


i>h. 


crabs,  and  prawns.  Tlie  temperature  of  the  water  in  which  they  live 
probably  rarely  falls  below  50".  They  have  no  enemies  except  sharks  and 
two  or  three  enormous  sjjiny-rayed  fishes  such  as  the  jew-tlsh  or  warsaw 
{Gi/(JS(j).  The  only  reliable  observations  upon  their  breeding  habits  have 
been  made  by  Mr.  Stearns,  who  states  that  they  spawn  in  May  and  June 
in  the  bays  and  at  sea.  In  June,  July,  and  August  they  are  toun<l  in  some 
of  the  bays  of  the  Northern  (iulf.  about  wrecks  and  ro(  k-piles.  in  consid- 
erable numbers,  and  none  are  taken  but  the  larger  adults  and  the  young  from 
one  to  eight  inches  long.  Tlie  spawning  season  i)robably  extends  over  a 
jjeriod  of  several  months,  Mr.  Stearns  having  founcl  well-developed  ovaries 
in  them  from  April  to  July.  Nothing  is  known  of  th.eir  rate  of  growth. 
They  attain  to  the  size  ot  forty  pounds.     In  East  Florida,  however,  the  aver- 


76 


AMERICAX  FISJIKS. 


liili 


l!l-Ml 


age  is  much  less.  Mr.  Stearns  remarks  that  in  tlie  (lulf  of  Mexico  they 
very  seldom  exceed  thirty  pounds  weij,du,  though  he  has  seen  several  ot" 
that  si/e,  while  the  .-.xverage  is  eight  or  nine  pounds,  and  in  a  large  lot  ma\- 
u.sually  be  found  individuals  weighing  from  two-and-one-half  to  twent\ 
pounds. 

Red  Snappers  from  l-'lorida  are  frecjuently  (juoted  in  the  New  ^'ork  mar- 
ket returns.  In  1S79  about  i  2,000  jiounds  were  there  sold.  They  are  also 
shipped  to  IJoston,  Washington  and  Baltimore  in  winter,  the  su])]  ly  in 
these  cities  being  derived  <  hielly  from  J'ensacola.  M(jbile  and  New  ();- 
leans  consume  considerable  iiuanilies,  and  from  these  jiorts  they  are 
shipped  up  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  prin(  i]ial  (  ities  of  the  West. 
where  the  fish  is  growing  to  be  a  staple  of  mix  h  importance.  In  Saint 
Louis  and  New  Orleans  it  is  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed   food-fishes. 

Snappers  slunild  always  be  boiled  or  cooked  in  a  chowder.  Thus  treated 
thev  are  eciual  to  the  striped  bass,  sea  bass  or  turbot,  in  flavor  and  texture. 
The  Court- Jiouillon  of  the  New  Orleans  cooks  is  made  of  Snappers,  and  is 
very  delicious.* 

Snap]!er-fishing  is  usually  carried  on  with  a  bottom  bait  of  skip-jack, 
bluefish,  or  young  shark.  The  Snap]iers  will  sometimes  bite  at  a  white 
rag.  Norris,  the  only  s])orting  authorit}-  who  has  written  about  them  with 
a  ( lear  understanding  as  to  what  s|)ecies  he  was  dealing  with,  states  that 
they  bite  readily  at  a  silver  or  pearl  stjuid.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that 
this  is  a  mistake.  Their  habits  are  (  losely  similar  to  those  of  the  sea 
bass  and  the  sheejishead,  and  they  seldom  rise  to  the  surtace. 

A  trip  to  the  Snapper  banks  is  a  favorite  summer  recreation  for  the  gen- 
tlemen of  Jacksonville.  A  tug  is  chartered  for  the  day,  and  usuallv  re- 
turns to  the  city  with  flags  flying,  whistles  triiim])hantly  sounding,  and 
gorgeous  festoons  of  red  fish  hanging  over  the  bows. 

My  friend,  Dr.  C.  J.  Kenworthy,  has  kindly  given  me  the  following 
memoranda  concerning  such  a  trip  : 

"  Eighteen  of  us  left  Jacksonxille  at  two  o'clock  in  the  nK)rning.  reaching 
Mayport  before  daylight,  liefore  the  sun  rose  we  wen.-  twelve  miles  iVom 
the  shore,  and  near  the  banks.     The  second  cast  of  the  lead  furnisheil 

*■  Couri-RoHlUon.  "This  prcparatiun  j;ivcs  Imileil  fisli  .1  liLtli.T  (lavnr  than  cnnkiiij;  in  clear  water  (1ol-s. 
Many  conks  u^c  wiiic  in  it.  Init  iIrti:  i-i  nci  miissity  fur  it.  I'nnr  i|uarls  nf  water,  one  iinimi,  one  slice  of  tar- 
r<it.  two  cloves,  two  tal)le-si)uo[ifiils  of  sail, one  teaspoonfnl  of  iiepi)er,  one  talile-sp.  lonful  of  vinegar,  the  juice 
of  half  a  lemon  ami  a  bonipiet  of  sweet  herlis  are  nsed.  'J'ie  the  onion,  carrot,  cloves  and  herbs  in  a  piei  e  of 
muslin,  ami  put  in  the  water  with  the  other  in>;reilients.  Cover,  and  hoil  slowly  for  one  hour.  Then  put  in 
the  lish  anJ  took  as  directed  for  plain  hoilini;." — Miss  I'aki.oa. 


sx.i/'/'/:7^'s  AX/)  Ri':D-.\[Oi'Tns. 


11 


unniistakiiblc  evidence  of  rocks,  and  over-hoard  went  the  lines.  'I'liey 
scarcely  touched  bottom  before  the  iry  'Snapper!'  'Snapper  I'  was  heanl, 
and  a  crimson  beauty  j^'rac  ed  our  dec  k. 

"  All  were  soon  enj,^ai,'e(l,  foreward,  aft.  starboard,  and  port.  To  feel  the 
bite  of  a  twenty-five  pound  Snapjjcr  at  a  depth  of  twelve  fathoms  causes  a 
sensation  never  to  be  f<)rj,M)tien.  .\s  the  line  is  pulled  in  and  tlie  fish  is 
first  seen  at  a  de])th  of  several  fathoms,  he  looks  like  silver  and  not  lari,'er 
than  one's  hand.  As  he  (omes  neanr  his  lints  deepen,  as  he  stru^.^hs  at 
the  surface  to  escape,  all  his  rii  h.  brilliant  <<)lors  are  displayed,  and  when 
he  reachi's  tlie  deck  every  one  e\(  hums.  -What  a  lieautyl'  l'"or  a  few 
minutes  the  shouts  resound  from  all  sides,  but  a  (  hant,^e  soon  occurs. 
ICach  man  labors  as  if  the  number  to  be  captured  dei)ended  upon  his  in- 
dividual exertions,  and  no  breath  or  time  ( oidd  be  spare<l  to  cry  '  Sn.:|)- 
per!'  or  indul.t^e  in  fisherman's  (  haff.  In  le.>s  than  two  hours  the  whistle 
sounds  '  Up  lines'  for  we  must  cross  the  bar  at  a  jiarticular  stai^e  of  the 
tide.  The  fish  are  l)itinL,MMpidlv.  but  our  tired  arms  and  blistered  fingers 
induce  us  all  (piietU'  to  obey  the  warning. 

"  ( )n  the  home-trip  otu- captures  are  counted: — not  sea  bass,  porgies,  and 
small  fry,  but  fish  worth  counting. — and  it  is  found  that  the  party  has  cap- 
tm-ed  one  grouper  weighing  thirty-fi\e  pounds,  two  of  eighteen  pounds, 
and  two  hundred  and  eiglit  snappers  aver  .ging  twenty-fi\e  pounds  each,— 
the  entire  catch  weighing  two  and  one  half  tons." 

One  April  day,  some  years  ago,  the  writer  and  a  party  of  friends  were 
passengers  on  the  little  steamer  whii  h  jilied  between  Jacksonville  and  the 
mouth  of  the  St.  Johns.  .After  leaxing  Mayport  on  the  return  trip,  we 
were  hailed  by  a  party  of  men  from  a  large  sail-boat  laying-to  in  tliemici- 
dle  of  the  river.  We  threw  them  a  line,  and  they  gave  us  a  deck-load  of 
stout  fishes, — shajiely,  bright-eyed,  and  c  rimson.  Wc  learned  that  the 
boat  had  left  Ma\port  on  the  previous  afternoon,  carrying  six  men,  who 
had,  in  three  hours,  taken  ninety  Red  Snai)pers,  weighing  in  the  aggregate 
over  a  ton,  besides  cjuantities  of  sea  bass.  Their  brilliant  hues  were  a 
great  smprise  to  those  of  our  i»arty  who  were  acijuainted  only  with  the 
neutral  colors  of  the  common  northern  market  fishes,  or  i)erhaps  had 
even  seen  the  tlull  red  color  of  the  Snappers  hanging  in  the  markets.  'l"he 
ladies  were  eager  to  ])Ossess  some  of  the  '•  lovely  scales,"  but  soon  learned 
one  of  the  first  lessons  of  ichthyology,  that  scales  are  always  white,  what- 
ever may  be  the  color  of  the  fish  whic  h  wear  them. 

The  writer  also  learned  a  lessjn  in  ichthyology,  on  the  same  occasion. 
The  opportunity  to  examine  so  many  specimens  of  this  fish,  gave  him  the 
clew  to  the  fact  that  it  was  an  inidescribed  species  ancl  led  to  its  descrij)- 
tions  1)y  Goode  and  Dean  under  the  name  Liifjaiius  Blackfordii. 


i 


?■' 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


''•5 


;  ,"( 


The  genus  Liitjamis  is  found  everywhere  in  trcjpical  waters,  and 
fish  resenililing  tiie  Red  Snai)i)er  occur  everywhere  throughout  the  West 
Indies.  There  is  one  which  is  abundant  on  the  Bahama  IJanks  and  in 
South  Florida.  This  is  /.  cainpt'cliiaiiiis,  I'oey,  ])erhaps  also  accompanied 
by  /.  toniiiiis,  Coi)e.  Two  other  brilliant  red  species  occur  with  L.  Black- 
fordii '\\\  the  (lulf  of  Mexico — the  IVnsacola  Snapper,  L.  Stcanisii,  and 
the  Mangrove  Sna])i)er,  RhomhopUtcs  auronibciis:.  On  the  Bermuda  reefs 
occurs  a  small  but  brilliant  specieb,  still  undeseribed,  which  I  propose  call- 
ing L.  atitolycus. 

The  Pensacola  Snapper  might  fairly  be  compared  with  L.  Black- 
fordii,  although  its  color  is  somewhat  less  vivid.  Concerning  this  ^w- 
cies.  Mr.  Stearns,  whose  name  it  bears,  writes:  "  It  is  abundant  on  the 
Clulf  coast,  and  lives  in  the  bays  all  the  year.  In  siunmer  it  is  to  be  foimd 
about  stone-heaps,  wharves,  and  old  wrecks,  where  it  obtains  crustaceous 
food  in  abundance.  In  winter  it  returns  to  the  deeper  j^laces  in  search  of 
food,  and  to  escape  from  the  cold  surface-water.  During  a  cold  snap  in 
1S76  a  great  many  of  these  fish  were  benumbed  and  floated  at  the  surface, 
until  the  sun  appeared  and  warmed  them,  when  they  revived  and  sought 
the  bottom.  They  spawn  in  May  and  June.  They  are  very  cunning,  and 
will  not  readily  take  the  hook.  Those  commonly  seen  in  the  bays  are 
(juite  small,  averaging  ten  inches  in  length,  while  those  taken  with  t!ie 
Red  Snai)])ers  at  sea  are  from  twenty  to  twenty-four  inches  long.  It  is  an 
e.vcellent  food-fish,  generally  thought  to  be  superior  in  flavor  to  the  Red 
Snapper."  This  fish  has  as  yet  been  found  only  on  the  Gulf  coasts  of  the 
United  States,  where  it  is  known  as  the  "  Mangrove  Snapper."  Since 
this  name  is  used  on  the  .Vtlantic  coast  for  another  species,  and  has  been 
so  used  since  the  time  of  Catesby,  it  seei'-'is  desirable  to  designate  Luijaiius 
v.S'/t'<7/v/j// by  another  name,  and  "  Pe'"!;;acola  Snapper"  has  l)een  suggested. 

The  Mangrove  Snapper,  Rhomboplitcs  aiirornbcns,  of  Charleston,  called 
at  Pensacola  the  "Bastard  Snapper."  is  a  much  more  slender  and  ele- 
gantly formed  fish  than  cither  of  the  Snappers  already  described.  Its 
color  is  less  vivid,  being  somewhat  more  russet,  and  is  enlivened  by  the 
presence  of  narrow,  obliiiue  lines,  with  gold  and  yellow  upon  the  sides. 
It  is  a  swift-swimming  fish,  probably  less  given  to  bottom  feeding,  and 
more  partial  to  a  diet  of  living  fish.  It  has  been  found  at  Jamaica,  and 
as  far  north  as  Charleston,  S.  C. 

"  In  the  Pensacola  region,"  writes  Stearns,  "it  is  well-known,  but  not 


sw.i PPERS  A XD  /v' /•: D- .}ro rr/rs. 


79 


a  common  species,"  Single  individuals  are  occasionally  brought  in  from 
the  sea  with  the  Red  Snajjpers  and  grou]iers.  It  is  caught  at  all  depths, 
from  ten  to  thirty-five  fathoms,  and  seldom  exceeds  eighteen  inches  in 
length.     As  a  food-fish  it  is  ecpial  to  the  Red  Snapper. 

The  (Iray  Snai)])er,  Lutjauus  caxis,  is  similar  in  fi)rm  to  the  others, 
but  not  red  in  color.  It  is  called  the  "  (Iray  Snapper"  in  South  Florida, 
and  the  "  Black  Snapper"  at  Pensacola  :  is  abundant  about  the  Bermudas, 
and  has  been  found  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida,  in  trojjic  al  South 
America,  in  Western  Africa,  and  about  the  Bermudas,  where  it  attains  the 
enormous  size  of  sixty  to  eighty  jjounds,  and  is  known  as  the  "  (Jray  Snap- 
per," and  also,  on  account  of  its  sly,  cunning  habits,  the  "Sea  Lawyer." 

Mr.  Stearns  writes  :  "It  is  most  abundant  in  South  Florida,  living  in 
deep  channels,  on  rocky  bottoms,  about  old  wrecks,  stone-heaps,  and 
wharves  ;  it  is  considered  the  most  cunning  fish  on  the  coast,  and  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  catch.  The  young  may  be  'en  about  the  wharves, 
and  the  breeding  grounds  are  probably  near  by.  Those  usually  observed 
are  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  in  length,  but  I  think  I  have  seen  specimens 
which  would  measure  two  feet." 

The  Red-mouths  or  Grunts,  small  fishes  belonging  to  the  genus  Diaba- 
sis,  are  found  in  the  inshore  waters  of  the  Southern  Atlantic  and  (lulf  States. 
They  arc  closely  related  to  the  Snapjiers,  which  they  resemble  in  form, 
and  have  remote  affinity,  with  the  jjcrch,  the  bass,  and  the  jiorgy  and 
sheepshead.  Their  colors  are  nsually  striking,  and  without  exception, 
they  are  distinguished  by  the  brilliant  red  color  of  the  inside  of  the 
mouth  and  throat,  from  whic  h  they  have  sometimes  been  called  Red- 
mouths,  or  Flannel-mouths.  F>om  their  habit  of  uttering  a  loud,  rather 
melodious  sound  when  taken  from  the  water  they  have  accpiired  the  name 
of  "  Grunts  "  and  "Big-fish."  In  some  localities  they  are  called  also 
"Squirrel-fish,"  in  allusion  to  the  same  habit.  They  are,  for  the  most 
part,  bottom  feeders,  preying  chiefly  ui)on  crustaceans  and  small  fish.  In 
fact,  they  are,  in  most  respects,  miniature  counterparts  of  the  Red  Snap- 
l)er.  In  many  localities  they  are  in  high  favor  as  food-fish.  They  have 
not  yet  been  very  carefully  studied,  but  so  far  as  they  are  now  untlerstood 
the  following  species  are  known  to  occur  in  sufficient  numbers  to  jjrove  of 
commercial  importance. 

The  Black  Grunt,  Diii/msis  P/tnnicri.  has  a  brownish  body,  lighter  upon 
the  sides,  and  has  the  sides  of  the  head  ornamented  with  numerous  hori- 


!, 


So 


AMERICA N  FJSJfKS. 


I  !  ! 


zontal  stripes  of  l)rij,'lit  hliic,  while  the  posterior  half  of  tlie  lower  lip  is  red. 
It  occurs  as  far  north  as  Charleston,  and  Dr.  Yarrow  (  laims  to  have  seen 
it  at  Beaufort,  North  Carolina,  though  there  is  some  (piestion  whether  this 
species  was  not  mistaken  for  another.  Ilolhrook  records  that  it  has  been 
observed  on  ihe  Atlantic  borders  of  South  Carolina,  (leorgia,  and  Florida. 
I  noticed  several  small  indi\  iduals  in  the  markets  of  Saint  .Augustine  in 
Mar'h,  1.S77.  Stearns  mentions  the  lilack  Crunt  as  abundant  at  Key 
West  among  the  reefs,  and  as  fre(piently  seen  in  the  markets.  It  is  there 
known  as  the  '•  Ronco  (Irande,"  D.  alhiis  being  called  the  "  Margate 
Fish."  and  D.  diromis  the  "Sailor's  Choice." 

The  Ked-Mouth  (iiunt,  J)i\i/uisis iti/ro/iiK'ufiis,  is  probably  the  "  Flannel- 
mouthed  Porgy,"  familiar  to  Florida  fishermen,  and  often  taken  on 
the  St.  Johns  bar.  It  has  recently  been  found  to  be  common  in 
Charleston  in  summer.  'I'his  sjjecies  was  mentioned  in  Catesby's  great 
work,  publisiied  in  164^,  under  the  name  of  "Margate- fish."  W'lien 
alive  its  color  is  bright  silvery,  l)Ut  it  soon  becomes,  when  taken  from  the 
water,  of  a  dull  amber-brown,  with  a  slight  bra/en  tint  along  the  l)a(  k 
and  sides,  though  the  belly  remains  white.  The  up|)erjaw,  within,  is  white  ; 
the  palate  is  salmon-colored  ;  the  lower  jaw  and  mouth  below  are  also 
white  in  their  interior  third  ;  the  posterior  two-thirds,  both  within  and 
without,  are  red,  and  the  mouth  below  ;  the  tongue  and  fauces  are  of  a 
similar  color.  This  llsh  occurs  in  Northern  Brazil  and  throughout  the 
West  Inilias,  and  si)ecimens  are  recorded  from  Jamaica,  Trinidad,  and 
the  Bahamas  ;  it  is  found  in  tlie  Bermudas  and  on  our  coast  at  least  as  far 
north  as  Charleston.  Stearns  writes :  "It  is  (piite  common  on  the  Gulf 
coast  of  Florida  from  I'ensacola  to  Key  West.  It  is  caught  with  hook  and 
line,  and  is  eaten  as  a  jjan-fish.  I  took  an  extremely  large  specimen 
from  the  snapper  ground  l)etween  Cedar  Keys  and  St.  Marks  in  fifteen 
fiithoms  of  water.  It  is  not  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Pensacola."  Hol- 
brook  writes:  "The  Red-mouthed  Crunt  is  occasionally  taken  in  our 
waters  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  but  is  never  abundant,  as  seldom  more 
than  a  dozen  or  two  are  met  with  in  the  market  at  one  time.  It  is  not 
highly  esteemed  for  food,  since  its  flesh  lacks  both  firmness  and  flavor." 

Uhler  and  Lugger  say  that  it  occurs  occasionally  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  Chesapeake  Bay,  where  it  is  not  considered  to  jjossess  great  economi- 
cal value.     The  occurrence  of  this  species  so  far  north  needs  confirmation. 

The    Norfolk    Hog-fish,    Poniodasys    fulvomaculatus,    belonging    to    a 


.V.A'//77./AV  ./.\7)  Rrn-^lOfTllS.  8i 

clnsdy  ivlntc.l  ^r^niis  is  tho  '•  Iln--|M,/'  „r  '•  ( Inint."  ..f  ilu-  Chc'^.iirakc. 
and  calk'.l  also  "  l'i--risli  "  („•  •'  ( inmt  ••  i,,  the  Culf  of  Mcxi.o.  an.l  "  iV.rk- 
lish"  and  '•  Whitin-"  ;u  K^y  WVm,  and  kn.nvn  in  South  Carolina  and 
tlic  St.  Joim's  RivcT,  II,.,  as  well  as  in  llonnu.la  under  the  nanu-  of 
"Saih.r's  ("iioi(v.  Its  ,oh,rs  arc  as  follows:  Ai.ovr.  pak-  I.rown  : 
hclly.  silvery;  sides  ni. irked  with  numerous  uran-e-((,l.,ri'd  or  vellow 
spots;  thosL'  a!)ove  the  Literal  line  dis|.,,M(l  in  irre-ular  oMi, pie' lines, 
those  l.elow  it  in  horizontal  rows.  Dorsal,  an.il  an<l  caudal  tins  with 
similar  spots;  sides, ,f  the  head  pale  Muishwith  a  livery  tint  and  marked 
with  yellow  spots  ;  lower  jaw,  or.in-e  at  the  an-le  of  the  mouth  ;  internal 
surface  of  the  gill  niemhranc  bri-ht  orange." 


Tin:  MiltfdI.K  llni;.risil. 


Th 


IS  species  was    first  descrihed    hv  .Mitrhill    fioi 


the  bav  of  New  \'ork.      The   \, 


ilional 


M 


n  a  spec  imen    t.iken  in 


various  ]iarts  of  the  Southern  coast  and   the  (iulf  of  M 


useum  has   many  spec  iniens  froii 


exico. 


^'ork."  wrote   l^eKav  in    i,S. 


In  N 


ew 


])earin,i 


as  r 


this  is  a   rare  fish,  but  occa:- 


ionall\-  ap 


am  informed,  in  our  harbor  in  ( onsiderable  numbers.      I 


a  very  s;i\()ry  food."      I'r,,!'.  I'.aird   did   not   find   it 


t  1^ 


jersey  in  1.S54.      It  occurs  in 


on  the  coast  of  X 


ew 


])eake  ISay,  and  is  niU(  h   esteemed  f  u'  focjd,  1 
lar  i>an-fish  of  the  Lower  Chesapeak 


the  salt  water  of  tile  lower  |)art  of  the  Cdi 


esa- 


leiin 


]ierhaps  the  most  po] 


ui- 


At  Ueaufort,  X.  C,  where   it  is  also  called    ••  liog-lish. 


Jordan,    it   is  extremely  coi 
wrote  about  1S60  :    "Tlie 


nmon   e\er\where   in   the   harbo 


according  to 
Ilolbrook 


ailor  s 


C'h 


oice      makes  it- 


appearance  i;i  our 


!  >t 


\  t 


j.]//:A'/i.i.\  //s/f/is. 


waters  alidiit  tlu'  iiuiiitli  of  April  .ind  <  (  iitiiuics  with  us  until  NoNfinlicr, 
uluii  till'  largi'st  ari'  takc-n.  1  lia\t.'  tnuud  in  the  stuuKK  h  of  this  animal 
onh  thf  ninains  of  small  fish,  ami  \rt  it  takes  hook  readily  when  Waited 
with  shrimiis  and  (  lams.  It  is  loiind  along  the  ( oast  from  (leorgia  to  \ir 
ginia,  where  it  is  called  "  Ilog-l"ish,"  and  is  held  in  great  estimation  hv 
e|)i(  ures." 

"On  tlie  (lulf  (  oast."  writes  Stearns,  "it  is  common  everywhere  and 
throughout  the  \ear  it  lives  in  shallow  water  among  the  grass,  feeding 
upon  small  crustat fous  animals.  It  spawns  in  Ajiril  and  May,  and  is 
.1  (  hoi<  e  food-fish.  'I'he  average  length  is  about  ten  inches."  Stearns 
also  refers  to  three  s|iecies  known  respeitixi-ly  as  the  "  White,"  "  \'ellow  " 
and  "  lihu  k  "  (iriint.  whi*  h  are  found  at  Key  West  and  upon  the  neigh- 
boring reef  in  great  abundaiKe.  lie  states  that  "  they  are  taken  with 
hook  and  line,  and  are  brought  daily  into  market.  IJetore  the  jioisoned 
water  visited  that  neighborhooil  the  (Irunt  was  the  most  important  as  well 
as  the  favorite  food-llsh  in  the  market,  but  since  then  they  ha\e  been 
scarce,  and  other  l"ish,  to  a  great  (.xteiit,  ha\e  taken  their  place." 

(  )n  the  ( oast  of  California,  especially  southward,  occur  two  species  of 
this  family;  one,  known  by  the  name  "  Sargo,"  Pristipoiiux  Daviii- 
soni,  is  found  from  San  I'edro  southward  to  Cerros  Island,  chietly  about 
tlie  islands,  and  is  nowhere  lommon.  It  feeds  on  crustaceans,  and  is  a 
a  good   pan-fish,   but   is  too   scarce   to  have   much   economic  value.      It 


reaches  a  len^'th  of  about   fil't 


een  in 


(lies.      Still  another,  Xcnisfiiis  calif  or 


///Vv/jvV  Steindachner,  occurs   from  San   Diego  to  Cape   San  Lucas.      It  is 
too  scarce  to  be  of  any  importance  for  food. 


Tin;  siii:i:i'sm;Aii 


THE  SIIKEPSHl'AD. 


'I'liu  |iU:.is,iiito^l  :ni:;liiiL;  U  l.i  sec  tlic  li^li 
Cut  will)  Wr  ;;m1iIcii  o.us  ilie  -ilvcr  stro.iiii 
Ami  yiccdily  ilcv.Mir  the  trLMclicnuis  ti.iit. 


'TpHE  nu'nil)LTs  of  tlic  fiunWy  S/>tr//,/,ri\  the  '•  Si.'a-Hivains  "  as  tluy  arc 
often  called,  aiv  cspuc  ially  <  harac  tcii/cd  I>\-  tlicir  licav w  rather  com- 
l)rcssc(l  bodies,  their  lar^e  lieads,  and  stroni;  jaws  and  teeth.  In  addition 
to  one  or  more  series  of  teeth  in  tlie  t'ront  of  tlie  jaws,  either  conical  orin- 
cisorial  in  sliape,  adapted  for  tearing  tlieir  food  froni  its  lodging  places, 
they  always  have  a  set  of  heavy,  tlat.  grinding-teeth  in  the  hack  of  the 
nK)Uth,  which  are  often  in  double  or  triple  rows  on  each  side  and  are  closelv 
set.  like  the  stones  in  a  mosaic.  Their  use  is  to  crush  hard  shells  of  mol- 
hisks  and  of  barnacles,  and  other  crustaceans.  They  are  sedentarv  in 
their  habits,  living  close  to  the  bottom  and  browsing  among  the  rocks 
and  piles.  Their  colors  are  usually  inconspicuous  and  their  motions  slug- 
gish. Representatives  of  this  family  are  found  throughout  the  world  in 
temperate  and  tropical  waters  everywhere,  and  were  numerous  in  the  seas 
and    lagoons  of  the  Tertiary  and  Cretaceous  periods. 

The  most  important  representatives  of  the  family  in  America,  are  the 


i  I 


1  p 


\ 


.i.]//:a'/c\lv  /7.s7//;.v. 


■itt 


S!u'('|  shvMfl  .iii'l  tlu-  SciippiiiiL;  nr  rur-;\.  Tlirrc  iic  si'sir.il  ntlurs  inh.iliit- 
iiiLj  <•'  r  soiitluTii  (i>.i-.t.  (if  \vlii(  li  the  S.iiliir's  ('hoicc.  Ltl;^Oiiiyii  r/ioni/u>iJiS, 
\\\v\  tlic  IJiwiiii.  ur  ll.i'^t.iril  SiKipiaT.  S/>,rr//.f  tir/t /lUi ///.<,  arc  thr  ln'st  known, 
Iml  llu><f  .irc  of  liitli'  iin|i(iit.in<  i-  to  citlKr  fisIuTinan  or  rconoinist.  <  )ii 
the  I'.K  ific  siflc  arc  otiurs.  wlii*  h  will  (loiilitUss  \tv  licttiT  known  in  tin.- 
fatiirc  tlian  thty  arc  at  liic  present  time. 

'I'lie  Sheepshead. .  lrr/inSir/x/f.f/>n)/><t/i>cr/'/tir///.<,  is  one  ot"  the  <  lioi(  est  i'l^lies 
ol'otir  waters.  It  deriM'^  its  n.iiiie  iVuni  the  reseinlilani  e  ol"  it>.  prollle  ami 
teeth  ti>  ihoM-nt'a  siieeji,  .md  al>o  tVoni  its  |irow->in.,f  li.ihits.  I'nlike  most 
(if  those  lishes  whic  h  arc  widely  <li>>tril)nted  along  our  seaboard,  it  has  only 
one  name,  and  1»y  this  it  is  known  iVom  ("ape  Cod  to  tiie  Mexican  bor- 
der. The  negroes  of  the  .Soutli.  howe\er,  freipienlly  drop  the  siliilant 
siiund  from  the  ir.iddle  of  the  word  and  call  it  "  Sheeiihead." 

.Several  other  siie(  ies  ari'  (ailed  li\-  the  snnu-  name,  lnit  there  is  little 
danger  of  (  onliisiiiii  e\(  ejit  in  tlu'  i  a->e  of  the  so-(  alhil  "  Slu-epshead  "  of 
».he(ireat  l.ake>.  whi(  h  is  similar  to  the  well  known  "hnnn:"  this  lish  is 
()((asi(jnallv  sold  to  the  imwary  on  the  re(  (<mmendation  of  its  good  name. 

This  iwh  has  ne\er  been  known  to  pass  to  the  north  of  the  sandy  arm  of 
( '.ipe  Cod,  and  its  northern  range  is  at  present  somewhat  more  limited  th.in 
it  was  (.'ightv  wars  ago.  In  the  r(.( urds  of  Wareh.im,  .Massachusetts,  thev 
are  mentioned  as  having  been  somewhat  abinidant  in  iNo,^.  and  in  Narra- 
gansett  Bay  there  is  a  fadition  that  they  began  to  disappear  in  i  7(;.;.  when 


the  Scnppaug  ( onnnenced  to  inc  rease  in  abundance 


In  1S71.  1;.  1:.  Tayl 


or, 


of  Newport,  testified  before  the  V.  S.  Conunis^ioner  of  I'isheries.  that  his 
father  caught  Sheepshead  in  abundaiK  e  t"orty-fi\e  or  fift\-  years  previous. 
In  iS7oand  1.S71  the  species  was  coming  into  noti(ein  this  region,  though 
n  ither  at  that  time  imr  >\n^v  has  it  become  conumin.  (  )n  the  south 
shore  of  Long  Ulaml  it  is  tpiite  abundant,  and  in  New  \(irk  harbor  and 
its  various  ap|)roa(  lies,  at  times,  may  be  taken  in  (dusiderable  ninnbers. 
'.  )n  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  it  is  also  abundant,  and  between  Cape  May 
and  .Montauk  I'oint  the  spe(  ies  is  said  to  attain  its  greati-st  perfec  tion  as  a 
food-fish.      Lugger  states  that  it  frciiuents  the  oyster  localities  of  all  parts 


if  Clu 


a|iea 


ke  I!av,  liut  is  now    more   common   among   the   southeastern 


(ouuties  of  \'irginia,  where  it  i omes  in  considerable  ntunbers  to  Wxil  upon 
the  animals  whi(  h  li\e  on  the  ovsler  bars.      It  is  found  about  wre(  ksofold 


vessels,  on  w 


IS 


hi<  h  barnacles  and  nioUusks  live.      About  Ueaufort.  N.  C,  it 
also  abundant,  and  also  along  the  entire  coast  of  the  South  Atlantic  and 


Tin:  siri:  iirs/fj:.  \n. 


(itilf  States,  when-  it  fri-imt-ntly  um  in<U.  i-«]>t.t  i.illy  in  I'inrid.i.  \\v^\\  up  the 
fi\'>ii\vatcr  rivers.  In  tlu-  (iiilf,  atiordiiig  to  Stiarii^.,  it  i^  aluiMil.mt  on 
tlic  (oast  from  SoiitlK'rii  I'lorida  to  Mcxii  «>. 

TIk-  Sliecpshcad  is  a  hottnm  loving'  s|i(.'(  ies,  ipiK't  in  its  iiahits.  and  littk- 
j,'i\cn  to  wainkrinj,'.  Nortii  of  (liark'stun  it  is  ali^int  iVoin  t'lr  inshort- 
waters  dining'  the  winter  si'a-M>n.  l)iit  it  i>  idohaMe  that  its  iniLtrations  do 
nut  carry  it  I'ar.  lldllirdok  ret  urds  tliat  it  has  been  taken  in  Port 
koyal  Sound  as  early  as  January,  while  in  Charleston  it  makes  its  apitear- 
aiK  e  in  April  and  continues  luitil  Novetulier.  |)r.  Mit<  hill,  wh.ose  obser- 
vations on  this  spei  ies  in  the  vit  inity  of  New  ^'ork.  made  sixty  years  ago. 
are  perhaps  as  satisfactory  as  any  whii  h  Iia\e  lieen  made,  remarked  that  its 
term  ot"  c ontinii.UK  e  was  iVom  the  headlining  of  June  to  the  middle  of  Sep- 
teiiilier.  lie  had.  ho\ve\er,  known  it  to  stay  later,  for  one  of  the  most 
niuiierous  < ollei  tions  of  Sheej^head  he  ever  saw  was  on  the  4th  of  ( )cto- 
ber,  1S14;    he  had  observed  it  as  late  as  the  17th  of  ()<tober. 

In  Idorida  the  Sheepshead  is  found  along  the  shores  throughout  the 
entire  year,  and  also  in  the  (»ulf  of  Me\i< o. 

It  is  <  urious  to  see  how  inu(  h  at  variaiK  e  were  the  statements  of  early 
observers  concerning  its  habit  of  entering  fresh-water  streams.  Mit(  hill 
states  e.xplicitly :  "He  ( onfmes  himself  strictly  to  the  salt  water, 
never  having  been  seen  in  the  fresh  rivers."  Holbrook.  speaking  of  the 
vicinity  of  Charleston,  says:  ••  I't  enters  shallow  inlets  and  mouths  i)f 
rivers,  but  never  leaves  the  salt  for  ("resh  water."  \\\  the  St.  John's  and 
other  rivers  of  Florida  the  Shee]»head  becomes  almost  a  fresh-v.ater  spe- 
cies, and  the  young.  esi»ecialls ,  are  < onstantly  taken  in  seines  in  ( ompanv 
with  bass,  perch  and  sui  kers,  far  above  the  limits  of  per(  eptibly  brr.i  kish 
water.  It  is  not  yet  jjossible  to  infer  with  any  certainty  what  the  tempera- 
ture limits  of  this  species  may  be.  but  it  would  seem  probable  that  they 
never  willingly  encounter  water  colder  than  Oo".  except  i»erhaps  in  fall, 
when  they  are  reluctant  to  leave  their  feeding  grounds. 

The  statement  just  made,  however.  rei[uires  a  certain  ([ualification.  No 
one  knows  whether  the  Sheepsheail  of  our  Northern  waters  go  south  in  win- 
ter or  whether  they  simply  become  torpid  and  remain  through  the  season 
in  deep  holes  near  their  summer  haunts,  their  presence  unsuspected.  IVr- 
hajis  it  would  be  wiser  to  say  that  they  are  not  actually  engaged  in  feeding 
when  the  temperature  is  lower  than  60°.  and  that  their  winter  habits  are 
entirely  unknown.      Where   the  water  is  warmer  than  60°  throughout  tlie 


',  I 


^ 


.S6 


A.VERICAN  FISHES. 


year,  they  arc  constantly  active.  The  Sheepslicad  feeds  ahiiost  exclusively 
upon  hard-shelled  animals,  mollusks  and  barnacles,  and  ])articularly  on 
young  ovsters  as  they  grow,  attached  to  stones  and  sticks  of  wood.  With 
its  strong  cutting  and  grinding  leeth  and  powerful  jaws  it  easily  rips  off 
thick  bunches  of  shells,  which  are  (piickly  triturated  by  the  mill-stone 
like  jaws.  Tlie  anglers  of  the  South  take  advantage  of  their  knowledge 
of  its  habits. 

The  Hon.  William  I'Llliot,  in  his  "  Carolina  Sports  by  I, and  and  Water," 
describes  the  peculiar  methods  emi)loyetl  in  Port  Royal  Souml,  South 
Carolina  : 

"They  arc  exceedingly  choice  in  their  feeiling,  taking  no  other  bait  but 
shell-fish.  Their  favorite  food  is  ti'ic  young  oyster,  which,  under  the  form 
of  barnacles,  they  crush  with  their  strong  teeth.  Of  course  they  freciuent 
those  shores  that  al)ound  with  fallen  trees.  On  the  Floriila  coast  they  are 
taken  in  great  (piantities  among  the  mangrove  trees,  whose  roots  growing 
in  the  salt  water,  are  covered  with  barnacles.  Formerly  they  were  taken 
in  consi.lerable  numbers  among  our  various  inlets.  Wherever  there  were 
steep  bluffs,  from  which  large  trees  had  fallen  in  the  water,  th(!re  they 
might  confidently  be  sought.  But  as  these  lands  have  been  cleared  for  the 
culture  of  sea-islanil  cotton,  the  trees  have  disappeared,  and  with  them  the 
fish  ;  and  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  renew  their  feeding  grounds  by 
artificial  means.  Togs  of  jjine  or  oak  are  cut  and  framed  into  a  sort  of  hut 
without  a  roof.  It  is  floored  and  built  uj)  five  or  six  feet  high,  then 
floated  to  the  i)lace  desired,  and  sunk  in  eight  feet  of  water  by  casting 
stones  or  live-oak  timber  within.  As  soon  as  the  barnacles  are  farmed, 
which  will  happen  in  a  few  weeks,  the  fish  will  begin  to  resort  to  the 
ground.  It  is  sometimes  requisite  to  do  more  before  you  can  succeed  in 
your  wishes.  The  greatest  enemies  of  this  fish  are  thj  sharks  and  por- 
poises, which  pursue  them  incessantly  and  destroy  them,  unless  they  can 
find  secure  hiding-places  to  which  to  retreat.  Two  of  these  pens,  near  each 
other,  will  furnish  this  protection  ;  and  when  that  course  is  not  adopted, 
])iles  driven  near  each  other,  quite  surrounding  the  pen,  will  have  the  same 
effect.  Your  work  comi)lete,  build  a  light  staging  by  driving  down  four 
upright  posts  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  feet  from  the  pen,  and  then  take  your 
station  on  it,  provided  M'ith  a  light,  flexil)le,  and  strong  cane  reed,  of 
twenty  feet  length,  with  fourteen  feet  of  line  attached,  a  strong  hook  and 
a  light  lead.  Instead  of  dropping  your  line  directly  down  and  poising  it 
occasionally  from  bottom,  I  prefer  to  throw  the  line  out  beyond  the  per- 
pendicular and  let  the  head  lie  on  the  bottom.  The  Sheepshead  is  a  shy 
fish,  and  takes  the  bait  more  confidently  if  it  lies  on  the  bottom.  When 
he  bites  you  perceive  your  rod  dipping  for  the  water;  give  a  short,  quick 
jerk,  and  then  play  him  at  your  leisure.     If  the  fish  is  large,  and  your  jerk 


THE  SlfE  IJ'SIIKAD. 


87 


too  violent,  the  rod  will  snap  at  the  t'lih nun — tiic  ^M-as])  ot'xdiir  kft  Ikuk!. 
It  has  Iia])])enL'(l  that,  at  oik-  of  tlu'NC  artifK  ial  i,M-oiin(ls,  I  ha\c  taken  six- 
teen Sheepshead  at  one  llshiiiLj.  W  hat  was  unusual  was  that  they  were 
taken  in  February,  when  no  one  thinks  ot"  fishing;  for  these  or  any  other 
sea-fish  within  the  inlets.  I  ascertained,  from  the  continued  experiments 
of  several  years,  that  they  could  always  be  taken  at  this  season,  and,  fre- 
quently, January  also.  'I'he  ditticulty  is  to  find  bait,  for  neither  shrimps 
nor  crabs  are  then  in  season.  In  the  (  ase  referred  to  the  difficulty  was 
thus  removed  :  The  lines  were  ritjL(ed  \\'\\\\  two  hooks  ;  upon  one  was 
])laced  an  oyster  taken  fresh  from  the  shell,  on  the  other  an  oyster  boiled. 
The  scent  of  the  first  attrat  ted  the  fish,  but  so  little  tenacity  was  found  in 
it  that,  before  the  fish  had  taken  hold  of  the  hook,  the  oyster  was  detached  ; 
but  when,  encouraged  by  the  taste  of  the  first,  the  fish  ad\  anced  to  the  sec- 
ond, that  having  ac(iuired  toughness  from  boiling,  would  adhere  until  the 
hook  was  fairly  taken  into  the  fish's  mouth.  They  ( learly  jjrefer  the  ','n- 
cooked  to  the  cooked  oyster,  but  the  latter  was  more  to  the  fisherman's 
jiurpose.  Their  fondness  for  this  food  suggested  the  expetlient  of  break- 
ing up  the  live  oysters  in  the  shell  and  scattering  them  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  ground  ;  also  that  of  letting  down  the  broken  o\siers  in  a  wicker  bas- 
ket.     Each  plan  is  found  effectual  in  attracting  the  fish. 

"The  blufis,  in  their  primitive  state,  in  which  trees  enough  are  found 
fallen  to  give  the  fish  both  footl  and  protection  against  their  enemies,  are 
only  to  be  met  with  now  among  the  Hunting  Islands,  where  the  barrenness 
of  the  land  had  secured  them  against  cultivation.  On  two  occasions  I 
have  enjoyed  excellent  sport  at  such  places.  On  one  I  took  twenty-three 
to  my  own  rod  ;  on  another,  twenty-four,  and  desisted  from  fatigue  and 
satiety.  They  are  never  taken  in  such  numbers  when  fishing  from  a  boat 
with  a  drop-line  on  the  rocks.  It  is  very  rare  that  as  many  as  twenty  are 
taken  in  one  l)oat." 

In  New  Jersey,  Sheepshead  pens  are  made  by  forming  enclosures  of  long 

stakes  driven  into  the  sandy  l)ottom  of  bays  and  inlets. 

*■ 

In  the  North,  the  Sheenshead  is  e(|ually  a  great  favorite,  and  the  in- 
structions to  anglers  written  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  by  Mitchill  is  bet- 
ter than  any  by  more  recent  writers. 

"  This  noble  fish  visits  the  neighborhood  of  Long  Island  annually, 
emetging  from  the  depths  of  the  ocean.  He  feetls  in  the  recesses  and 
inlets  u|)on  the  clams  and  mussels,  which  are  al)undant  and  on  which  he 
loves  to  feed.  He  confines  himself  strictly  to  the  salt  water,  never  having 
been  seen  in  the  fresh  rivers.  His  term  of  continuance  is  only  during 
the  warmest  season  ;  that  is,  from  the  beginning  of  June  to  the  middle  of 
September.  He  then  disappears  to  the  unknown  depths  of  the  Atlantic, 
and  is  seen  no  more  until  the  ensuing  summer.  The  Sheepshead  swims  in 
shoals,  and  is  sometinies  surrounded  in  great  numbers  by  the  seine  ;  several 


88 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


hundreds  have  often  been  taken  at  a  single  haul  with  the  long  sweeping 
nets  in  use  near  Rayner  Town,  IJaliylon  and  Fire  Island.  They  even  tell 
of  a  thousand  brought  to  land  at  a  draught.  He  also  bites  at  the  hook, 
and  several  are  not  unfre<iuently  thus  caught  in  succession.  The  outfitting 
of  a  Sheepshead  party  is  always  an  occasion  of  considerable  excitement 
and  high  exjiectation,  as  I  ha\e  often  exi)erienced.  Whenever  a  Sheeps- 
head is  brought  on  board  the  boat  more  joy  is  manifested  than  by  the 
j)ossession  of  any  other  kind  of  llsh.  The  sjjortsmen  view  the  exercises  so 
much  above  common  fishing  that  the  capture  of  the  Sheepshead  is  the 
most  desirable  combination  of  luck  and  skill  ;  and  the  feats  of  hooking 
and  landinir  him  safelv  in  the  boat  furnish  abundant  materials  for  the  most 
pleasing  and  hyi)erb<)lical  stories.  The  Sheepshead  is  a  very  stout  fish, 
and  the  h(>oks  and  lines  are  strong  in  i)roportion  ;  yet  he  freciuently  breaks 
them  and  makes  his  escajie.  Sheepshead  have  been  caught  with  such  fish- 
ing-tackle fastened  to  their  jaws.  When  the  line  or  hook  gives  way,  the 
accident  makes  a  serious  impression  on  the  company.  As  the  possession 
of  the  Sheepshead  is  a  grand  prize,  so  his  escajjc  is  felt  as  a  distressing  loss. 
1  know  an  ancient  fisherman  who  used  to  record  in  a  book  the  time, 
place,  and  circumstances  of  every  Sheepshead  he  had  caught.  This  fish  is 
sometimes  speared  by  torchlight  in  the  wide  and  shallow  bays  of  Queens 
County  and  Suffolk." 

Dr.  Mitchill  concludes  his  naive  remarks  by  the  mournful  words:  "It 
is  to  be  regretted  that  the  Sheepshead  too  often  corrupt  for  want  of  ice." 

Schoepf,  writing  of  the  same  region  forty  years  before,  states  that  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  Revolutionary  war  the  Sheepshead  was  very  abun- 
dant in  the  summer  months  and  was  a  very  highly  prized  species.  In 
1773  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce  offered  a  ])rize  of  twenty 
pounds  sterling  to  the  crew  of  the  vessel  which  should  bring  to  the  city 
markets,  "  the  greatest  quantity  of  live  Sheepshead,  from  the  ist  of  May, 
1773,  to  the  ist  of  May,  1774."  Some  unknown  writer  contributed  to 
Brown's  "  American  Angler,"  in  1S46,  the  following  memorandum  : 

"  These  noble  fish  have  become  ijuite  scarce  in  our  harbor.  The  writer 
has  taken  them  repeatedly  near  Covernor's  Island,  opposite  the  Battery, 
but  this  was  in  days  long  since  gone  by.  Still,  they  are  still  taken,  occa- 
sionally, at  Caving  Point  and  at  the  Signal  poles,  at  the  Narrows,  also  at 
Pelhani  Bridge  and  Little  Hell  date." 

Scott  gives  the  following  advice  to  Sheejjshead  anglers  : 

"  If  a  resident  of  New  York,  you  will  find  Canarsie  on  the  OV\  Mill, 
near  Eaft  New  York,  the  most  convenient  place  from  which  to  take  a  sail- 
boat :  a  boat  is  generally  at  hand  at  either  place.  Sail  down  the  channel 
above  the  inlet  toward  Near  Rockawav.  ab<out  a  mile  below  Remson's  llo- 


;t  I  . 


THE  SHEEPSHEAD. 


-9 


tel  ;  feci  by  sounding  for  a  nnissfl-l)c(l  (they  are  numerous  for  a  mile  along 
shore),  a])OUt  two  hundred  yards  from  which,  when  found,  cast  anchor  far 
enough  away  so  that,  when  the  boat  toles  round  from  the  tide  toward  the 
feeding-ground,  the  cast  retiuired  for  dropping  your  anchor  will  be  about 
fifty  feet.  The  water  should  be  about  seven  feet  deep  at  low  ti<le.  and  it 
rises  there  from  four  to  six  feet.  I'he  best  time  is  during  the  period  be- 
tween high  and  low  tides  when  the  water  is  slack,  and  until  it  runs  at  the 
rate  of  five  miles  an  hour,  or  one  hour  after  it  begins  to  run  ;  fijr  when  the 
tide  runs  out  it  is  then  considered  that  Sheepshead  seek  some  still-water 
ground  and  wait  for  a  moderate  motion  of  the  waters.  At  the  right  times 
of  tide  the  location  of  the  mussel-beds  is  plainly  indicated  by  a  fleet  of  fif- 
teen to  twenty  sail-boats  or  hand-line  fishermen.  Many  of  them  are  far- 
mers, Avho,  residing  near  the  shore  of  Jamaica  Uay,  employ  the  interreg- 
num between  hay  and  grass,  uniting  their  profits,  and  earning  from  S3  to 
$10  a  day,  by  fishing  for  Sheejjshead. 

"  There  are  many  ])laces  along  our  shores  better  than  Jamaica  Bay. 
The  Hand-line  Committee  makes  it  ])ay  at  Fire  Island,  and  there  are 
many  superior  feeding  ])laces  in  the  South  ]5ay  ;  about  the  wreck  of  the 
'  Black  Warrior,'  near  the  Narrows,  is  celebrated  for  its  great  numbers  of 
them  ;  in  truth,  our  whole  coast  south  of  Long  Island  is  rendered  inviting 
by  this  delicious  fish." 

The  favorite  resorts  of  northern  Sheepshead  anglers  are  among  the  rocks 
about  Jamaica  Bay,  South  Bay,  and  Fire  Island,  and  in  various  parts  of 
New  York  Bay,  as  well  as  in  similar  localities  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey. 

The  Sheepshead  of  the  North  is  generally  considered  much  finer  in 
flavor,  as  well  as  larger  than  its  southern  brethren,  but  I  can  speak  from 
experience  of  the  delicious  quailities  of  these  fish  taken  in  the  St.  John's 
River,  Fla.,  at  the  upper  limit  of  brackish  water,  and  am  inclined  to 
doubt  the  vaunted  superiority  of  those  of  New  York. 

In  Florida,  and  as  far  north  as  Port  Royal,  S.  C,  the  Sheepshead  is  a 
winter  resident.  Mr.  Elliott  tells  of  his  success  in  fishing  for  these  species 
in  January  and  February,  despite  the  scarcity  of  bait.  At  Charleston  the 
fish  is  scarce  in  winter.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake  it  ajjpears  in  early 
April,  in  New  Jersey  in  May,  and  at  about  the  same  time  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York.  In  mid-summer  it  is  seen  in  southern  New  England.  It 
leaves  New  Jersey  about  September,  and  Virginia  in  October.  Its  i)re- 
ferred  temperature  is,  i)robably,  not  below  60°  or  65°  F.  Frank  H.  Al- 
len in  the  ADicricaii  Aiigh'i\  (i,  55)  states  that  at  Indian  River  Inlet,  Fla., 
three  men  at  one  tide  took  one  hundrc  1  and  sixty  Sheepshead,  using 
roasted  oysters  for  bait.     He  states  that  Sheepshead  may,  as  a  rule,  be 


1 


9° 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


t.ikcn  wherever  the  mangrove  roots  extend  out  into  the  water,  but  in  shal- 
lows they  are  frightened  away. 

Little  is  known  of  its  reproduction.  When  they  first  aj^pear  on  our 
northern  coast  we  are  assurec'  by  several  writers,  they  are  always  thin  and 
unfit  for  food  ;  it  would  seem  from  this  that  if  their  si)awning  season 
must  then  have  just  come  to  an  end.  No  one,  has  made  any  careful  obser- 
vations upon  this  point  north  of  Florida  however. 

Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke  has  observed  that  about  New  Smyrna,  in  the  Indian 
River  region  of  Florida,  they  spawn  at  the  mouths  of  rivers  and  inlets  in 
March  and  April,  the  sexes  mixing  together  in  schools.  The  eggs  are  de- 
posited in  shallow  water  near  the  shore,  and  are  about  the  size  of  mustard 
seed,  and  dark.  At  the  spawning  season  the  fish  play  near  the  surface  and 
become  thin  and  unfit  for  food.  The  young  fish  are  abundant  in  shallow 
water  among  the  rocks." 

Silas  Stearns  writes  from  Pensacola : 

"  The  Sheei)shead  spawns  in  April  and  May,  in  the  bays.  On  June  i8, 
187S,  and  in  June,  1879,  I  caught  young  Sheepshead,  measuring  a  quarter 
of  an  int'i,  in  Pensacola  Bay.  It  lives  about  wharves,  rock-piles,  old 
wrecks,  oyster-reefs,  and,  in  South  Florida,  about  the  roots  of  the  man- 
grove tree,  feeding  upon  the  barnacles  that  grow  in  such  places.  It  is 
caught  with  hook  and  line,  in  fall  and  winter,  at  which  seasons  it  is  in  its 
best  condition.  Its  average  weight  is  three  or  four  pounds,  and  its  maxi- 
mum twenty  pounds." 

Those  taken  about  New  York  sometimes  Aveigh  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
pounds,  though  the  average  size  is  not  more  than  six.  All  authorities 
agree  that  the  Sheepshead  is  one  of  the  very  finest  food-fishes  in 
our  waters,  many  jiersons  prefering  it  to  the  salmon,  while  others  com- 
pare it  to  the  English  turbot,  which,  in  the  writer's  judgment,  it  excels 
in  flavor.* 


»i ' 


*  Hnw  TO  IloiL  Fish. — The  .irt  of  liniling  fish  is  so  little  understood,  that  it  is  deemed  proper  to  insert  the 
folliiwini;  instrni-lions,  derived  from  the  \vritin.i;s  of  Cleorgiana  Hill  of  London.  The  method  of  boilinj; 
iisuidly  pracliceil  is  simply  to  jihice  the  fish  in  salt  water,  which  should  he  cold  if  the  fish  is  large,  .-uul 
hot  for  small-si/ed  fish  ;  in  the  latter  case,  two  or  three  minutes  in  the  boiling  water  will  be  sufficient,  aiui 
a  sheepshead  or  bass  of  four  or  five  pounds  will  not  require  more  than  about  ten  minutes  from  the  time  the 
water  begins  to  boil.     Whenever  practicable,  use  a  strainer  whereon  to  place  the  fish  in  the  sauce-pan. 

Some  kinds  offish  may  be  first  sUinned,  but  carp  should  retain  its  skin. 

When  only  salt  is  added  to  the  water,  the  fish  is  said  to  be  a  I'luu  <ic  scl.  When  sea-water  is  used,  the 
fish  is  understood  to  be  dressed  a  l'  Ilollaiulaisc.  When  white  wine  or  vinegar  and  spices  and  shred 
onions,  are  enqiloyed  to  flavi>r  the  water,  the  fish  becomes  an  court  I'ouilloii,  and  should  the  fish  be  simmered 
in  a  small  quantity  of  water,  to  which  is  added  a  savoury  seasoning  of  herbs,  it  is  known  as  being  a  hi  bonne 
tail ;  in  this  case  it  is  generally  served  in  the  liquor  in  which  it  was  dressed  ;  done  in  equal  quantities  of  red 
wine  and  water,  strongly  impregnated  with  aromatic  herbs  the  fish  is  described  as  being  an  bUn,  and  is  almosf 


\v  I 


THE  SHEEPSirEAD. 


91 


'Hie  Pin-fisli,  Diplodus  irolhrookii,  which  is  alniiKhuit  at  Charlfston  and 
about  IJcautbrt,  X.  C,  was  first  scientifically  described  by  Dr.  Ik-an  from 
specimens  obtained  in  Charleston  market,  in  March,  1S7.S.  Jordan  found 
it  abundant  everywhere  near  the  shores  of  Beaufort,  N.  C,  in  which  region 
it  reaches  but  a  small  size,  and  is  not  used  for  food.  It  is  confounded  by 
the  fishermen  with  the  Sailor's  Choice,  Lagodon  rhomboidcs. 


invari.llily  served  cold  ;  (nily  the  best  kin(h  of  fi-ili,  such  as  striped-bass,  sea-bass,  sheepshe.-id,  mnonfish, 
rcil  siialiper,  sciiietcauiiu,  s.iliiiuii  ^cc.,  are  trcalud  in  the  List  way. 

Salniiiii,  and  all  dark-lleshud  tish  rcnuire  nunh  niDre  Imilin.;  tii.in  the  wliitc-fleslied  kinds. 

AVlicn  pcissible,  some  vine.i;ar  sliiiiild  l)e  riililicd  (in  tlie  ont>ido  of  ti>h  before  it  is  lioilcd,  by  wliich  means 
the  skin  is  prevented  from  cracking,  but  the  introduction  of  much  llavorinj;  in  tlie  licpiur  in  wliicli  it  is 
dressed  is  principally  necessary  when  the  fish  has  been  some  time  out  of  the  water,  and  is  cunseiiiienlly  de- 
ficient in  natural  flavi^r. 

It  is  considered  preferable  to  serve  boiled  fish  upon  a  napkin,  rather  than  have  a  sauce  poured  over  it  in  the 
dish  :  and  with  salmon  it  is  thoiinht  better  taste  to  have  a  pl.dn  white  sauce,  instead  of  anything  less  simple; 
cucumber  or  melon  in  slices  may  be  served  apart. 

No  positive  rules  can  be  Kiven  as  tothe  length  oftime  fish  should  be  boiled,  as  everything  depends  upon  the 
size  and  kind  of  fish  yon  have  to  dress. 

Salmcju,  usually,  should  be  alloweil  at  least  ten  minutes  to  each  pound,  while  two  or  three  nunutes  per 
pound  will  be  ample  for  haddock,  cod,  S;c.:  a  mackerel  needs  about  a  ([uarter  of  an  hour  to  do  it  properly ; 
herrings,  and  many  other  sorts  ot  fish,  scarcely  half  so  long. 


i 

1 

i. 

r 

1 

THE  SCIPPAUG.    STENOTOMUS  CHRTSOPS. 


THE  SCUPPAUG  AND  THE  FAIR  MAID. 


Uait  the  hook  well  ;  this  fish  will  liitc. 

Shakkspeaki;,  Much  A<io  About  Kothins,  Act  ii,  Scene  iii. 


QCUPPAUG,  the  name  of  this  fish,  is  an  abbreviation  v>{  Mishciippauog, 
an  appellation  used  by  the  Narragansett  Intlians,  which  has  unfor- 
tunately been  corrupted  to  form  two  others,  neither  of  which  is  euphon- 
ious or  significant.  In  New  England  it  is  generally  called  "Scup," 
while  about  New  York  the  second  syllable  of  the  abbreviated  Indian 
name  has  been  lengthened  into  "  Paugy "  or  "Porgy."  The  latter 
name  is  particularly  objectionable  because  it  belongs  to  an  Eng- 
lish fish,  and  its  iiroper  etymology  as  a  fish -name  is  very  different. 
Another  Indian  word,  "  poghaden,"  a  corrujit  form  of  the  Abnaki  name 
for  the  menhaden,  or  moss-bunker,  has  been  changed  to  "  pogy "  and 
"  porgy,"  thus  leading  to  much  confusion.  "  Scuppaug  "  is  an  excellent 
name  for  the  fish,  and  its  claims  for  general  ado])tion  will  be  recognized 
by  all  who  wish  to  preserve  the  memory  of  the  aboriginal  languages  of 
America. 


THE  SCUPPAUG  AXD  THE  EAIK  MAID. 


93 


Tautog,  (■hof,fsct,  stnictcat,niL',  niiimmic  liog,  nmttawacca,  menhaden, 
siscowct,  tullibcc,  ciuinnat,  oulachan,  (uniassa  and  naniayciish  arc  among 
the  best  of  them  ;   their  nmiiher  is  few,  and  they  need  careful  guardianshi]). 

Until  very  recently  <  nlyone  sj  e(  ies  of  the  genus  Slciiotcwus  was  known 
to  occur  in  our  waters.  I)r.  I5ean  has,  however,  shown  that  there  are  two 
on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States,  in  addition  to  the  nninij!ortant 
species,  S.  lafriiius,  re(  ently  dts(  ril  td  fxm  theOulfof  Mi..\i(o. 

The  "  Scup  "  of  the  North,  Siniofoiiitis  c/insi'/s,  is  by  far  the  most  im- 
portant, though  the  Southern  si;ecies,  S.  aciilcaliis,  has  considerable  «-om- 
niercial  value.  The  former,  Mhidi  is  distinguished  by  its  larger  teeth 
and  more  abrupt  jirofde,  is  abundant  between  Ca]  e  Cod  and  Cape  Ilatteras; 
the  latter  has  its  metroj  olis  en  th.e  Caiclina  coast,  but  has  been  found 
sparingly  as  far  north  as  Wood's  licill,  Mass. 


w 

THE  FAIR  MAID.     STFXOTO.Ml'9  ACULEATt:9. 

On  the  Virginia  coast  the  Southern  Scup  is  known  as  the  "  Fair  Maid." 
The  name  "  I'orgy  "  is  in  use  about  Charleston,  S.  C.,but  is  not  dis- 
tinctive, being  appdied  to  several  allied  foims.  Their  range  is  much  more 
limited  to  the  south  and  extends  farther  to  the  north  than  that  of  the 
Sheepshead.  Holbrook  wrote  in  i860:  "  The  Porgy  is  found  along  our 
coasts  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  though  most  abundant  in  June  and  July." 
lie  further  states  that  its  southern  limit  on  the  Atlantic  border  is  Cape 
Florida,  a  statement  probably  not  susceptible  of  proof. 


1) 


i  ',i 


94 


^/ .  ME  MIL  'A  X  J'lSIfES. 


O 


ill 


Tht'  NortluTii  S(  ii|)  rarely  passes  the  boundary  of  Cape  Cod  ;  in  i.SjS, 
however,  thirty-seven  were  taken  at  the  Milk  Island  weir  off  Thatc  her's 
Island,  Cai)e  Ann,  Mass.,  and  they  a])pear  to  be  increasing  in  abundance. 

This  spe(  ies  does  not  ajipear  to  be  indigenous  north  of  Cape  Cod. 
Storer  states  that  in  the  year  i<S3i  or  1 832  a  smack-load  of  Scujipaugs 
arrived  in  15oston.  A  ])()rtion  of  them  were  jiurchased  ])y  subscription 
among  the  fishermen  in  the  market  and  thrown  into  the  harbor,  and  that 
in  1S34  or  1.S35  Capt.  Downes  carried  a  smack-load  from  \'ineyard  Sound 
and  threw  them  overboard  in  Plymouth  Harbor.  From  I1S60  to  1867 
small  numbers  ajijieared  north  of  Cape  Cod,  and  were  yearly  captured  at 
AW'lllleet  and  Sandwich. 

Judging  from  the  rare  occurrence  of  the  si)ecies  thus  introduced,  it  can 
hardly  be  considered  to  have  l)e(  ome  naturalized  ;  the  few  which  have 
been  taken  were  doubtless  summer  stragglers,  although  in  1S78  over  one 
hundred  were  taken  at  Capt.  Webb's  weir  on  Milk  Island. 

The  life  history  of  the  Scuppaug  has  l)een  thoroughly  worked  out  by 
Prof.  ]5aird,  and  from  his  paper  jjublished  in  the  first  volume  of  the  re]>ort 
of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  the  following  life-history  is  comjjiled  : 

"  It  makes  its  ajijiearance,  at  least  in  considerable  quantity,  on  the 
coast  of  New  Fngland  about  the  middle  of  May,  although  the  advance- 
guard  of  very  large  fish  arrive  sometimes  as  early  as  the  middle  of  A])ril ; 
and  it  is  most  abundant  toward  the  1st  of  June,  and  arrives  in  successive 
detachments  or  '  runs'  differing  in  si/e,  the  smallest  fish  coming  last.  The 
first  run  on  the  southern  coast  of  New  ]',ngland,  as  stated,  takes  ])lace 
about  the  beginning  of  May,  and  consists  of  large  breeding  fish,  weighing 
from  two  t  )  four  pounds,  and  measuring  up  to  eighteen  inches  or  more  in 
length.  'J'he  spawn  is  (juite  well  developed  at  that  time,  and  is  said  to  be 
at  first  red,  but  gradually  to  become  light  yellow  as  it  matures.  The 
l)articular  time  and  ])lace,  however,  of  laying  the  eggs  is  not  yet  known, 
although  it  is  ])rol)able  that  this  occurs  early  in  June,  since  the  schools  are 
said  to  break  up  about  the  middle  of  that  month,  and  the  fish  to  scatter. 
It  is  thought  probable  that  the  spawning  takes  ])lace  in  the  eel-grass 
which  covers  the  shoal  water  of  Narragansett  Bay  and  Vineyard  Sound. 

"According  to  the  fishermen  generally,  the  Scup  on  first  coming  into 
the  shores  do  not  take  the  hook  readily,  being  apparently  too  much  occu- 
])ied  in  the  business  of  reproduction,  and  two  weeks  usually  elapse  before 
they  can  be  caught  in  this  way.  They  present  themselves  in  large  schools 
of  immense  extent,  and  moving  very  slowly,  at  about  the  rate  of  three 
miles  an  hour.  From  the  testimony  ])resented  before  the  committe  of 
investigation  of  the  Rhode  Island  legislature,  they  ajijiear  to  come  from 
the  south  and  west,  as  when   they  enter  Narragansett  Bay  they  strike  the 


THE  sccrrAca  axj)  tj[e  fair  maid. 


95 


western  shore  and  move  np  alon,^  its  edge.  They  are  said,  however,  to 
<lrift  slowly  backward  and  forward  with  the  tide,  especially  at  theentranre 
of  this  bay.  At  this  time  they  are  \ery  sluggish,  and  are  sai<l  sometimes 
to  ai)])ear  as  if  blind,  and  ( an  frecpiently  be  taken  with  the  liand.  or  a 
\ery  short  scoop-net. 

''.According  to  Caj)!.  I'.dwards.  of  Wood's  IIoll.  in  jjroc  ceding  to  their 
breeding-grounds,  uw  the  coast  of  New  England,  they  are  taken  at  Mon- 
tauk  I'oint  three  weeks  earlier  than  at  ^^■oo(^s  IIoll.  and  a  week  earlier  at 
Wood's  Holl  than  at  Ilyannis,  still  farther  east. 

"The  Scup  feed  upon  a  great  variety  of  marine  animab.  m;i  h  as\\(irm>. 
small  crustaceans,  mollusks,  «!vc..  and  take  the  hook  \ery  freely  during  tlic 
greater  ])art  of  their  stay  ;  in  fact,  the  smaller  ones  1  ec  cjine  \eritable 
nuisances  to  the  fishermen,  from  the  reaclimss  with  whic  h  they  pounc  e 
upon  the  baited  hook  whenever  thrown  overboard. 

"The  flesh  of  the  Scup  is  \ery  nuic  h  ])ri/.ed  by  most  ])ersons.  as  it  is 
firm  and  flaky,  and  usually  sweet,  although  occasionally  a  bitter  flavor 
detracts  from  its  jjalatability.  Sine  e  the  settlement  of  the  coast  by  the 
whites,  it  has  been  by  far  the  most  im])ortant  food-flsh  of  I'isher's  Island 
and  \'ineyard  Sound,  Narragansett  I'.ay  and  of  IJuzzard's  liay  ;  ancl  the 
rai)id  diminution  in  number  has  caused  the  greatest  solic  itude. 

"  Ot  their  abundance  on  the  south  coast  of  New  llngland  in  former 
times,  almost  incredible  accounts  are  given.  They  swarmed  to  sue  h  a 
degree  that  their  capture  ceased  to  be  a  matter  of  s])ort.  The  line  when 
thrown  overboard  could  be  immediately  withdrawn  with  the  assuranc  e  of 
having  a  fish  on  each  one  of  two  hooks.  Any  number  of  fishermen  from 
boats  could  take  five  hundred  to  one  thousand  ])ounds  a  day  without  the 
slightest  difficulty,  the  limits  of  the  catch  being  simply  the  ability  to  find 
a  sale. 

"  In  flavor  the  flesh  of  this  flsh  is  surjiassed  by  very  few  others  on  the 
coast,  although  its  superabundance  caused  it  to  be  under\alued.  The 
period  of  greatest  develojjment  in  number  of  this  flsh  coincided  with  that 
of  the  absence  of  the  bluefish,  and  since  the  return  of  the  latter  to  the 
coast  of  New  England  the  S<:up  has  become  scare  e,  although  still  a  very 
important  object  of  jnirsuit. 

"  The  Scup  is  a  fish  that  grows  with  rapidity,  and  at  two  years  is  almost 
of  sufficient  size  to  be  marketable.  Throughout  the  summer  young  flsh  of 
the  spring  spawning  are  to  be  seen  floating  around  in  the  eel-grass  and 
over  the  sandy  bottoms,  having  attained  a  length  of  from  two  and  a  half 
to  three  and  a  quarter  inches  by  the  ist  of  October.  When  these  flsh 
reappear  the  next  season,  thus  completing  one  year  of  e>istence,  they 
measure  about  six  inches,  six  to  eight  or  nine  weighing  a  pound  ;  and  by 
the  ist  of  Septemlier  attain  an  average  length  of  eight  inches,  including 
the  tail,  and  a  breadth  of  three  inches.  In  the  third  year  of  existence,  or 
at  the  age  of  two  years,  they  have  increased  considerably,  though  not  so 
rapidly  as  was  once  sup])osed,    measuring,  on   their  reappearance,  about 


t  !       f 


I 


^ 


yO 


AMlUaCAX  J'7SIfl':s. 


tin  iiK  Iks,  with  ;in  avira^c  wcijilu  of  one-half  i)oiin(l.  After  this  tlicy 
\irnw  moic  (iui(  kly.  One  himdrid  ami  niiu'ty-ninu,  prcsiinKd  to  he  tliicc 
years'  fish,  wei^'hed  on  the  6th  of  September,  averaj^'ed  one  and  a  half 
l)onn(ls  ia(  h,  and  measured  about  t\vel\e  in(  lies  in  lenj^'th  by  fotir  and  a 
half  iiK  lies  in  width,  some  individuals  being  larger  and  some  smaller. 
'I'he  female  fish  of  the  second  year  not  imfretnieiitly  contains  mature  eggs. 
It  is  in  the  fifth  year,  or  after  the  lapse  of  fi)iir  years  from  birth,  that  the 
Scup  presents  its  finest  development  ;  specimens  believed  to  be  of  this  age 
measured  fimrteen  f)r  fifteen  in<  lies  by  [\\i^  to  six  iiK  lies  or  more,  with  a 
weight  of  two-and-a-half  to  three  jjomids.  'I'liey,  however,  still  lontinue 
to  grow,  spet  iniens  being  not  unfre(|uently  met  with  eighteen  in<  lies  long, 
and  weighing  f()uri>oun(ls  and  even  more.  'I'lie  dimensions  may  belong  to 
fish  of  six  or  more  years  t)f  age  ;   more  i)ro',)ably,  however,  of  li\e  years. 

".\s  a  general  rnle,  in  their  movement  along  the  coast  the  .Scup  are  not 
found  in  water  shallower  than  a  few  fathoms;  and  it  sometimes  hajipens, 
in  the  course  of  liea\y  storms,  that  in  conse(|Ueiice  of  the  discoloration  of 
the  water  near  tlie  shore  the  fish  move  farther  out  to  sea,  and  on  such 
occasions  measurably  escape  falling  into  the  traps. 

"The  S(  up  is  very  largely  a  bottom  feeder,  and  depends  very  mtich 
u|;on  mollusks  or  shelllish  tor  subsistence.  J  have  been  informed  bj-  the 
fishermen  that  they  may  freciuently  be  seen  feeding  U|)on  small  bivalves  of 
different  sjiecies,  rooting  tlum  out  of  the  sand  or  mud.  The  stomachs  of 
about  two  hundred  one  and  one-half  jjound  S(  up  were  examined  at  one 
time  in  the  beginning  of  September.  These  almost  exclusively  contained 
shells  of  various  genera,  with  some  worms  and  a  few  ampliipods.  Its 
es])ecial  food  ap])ears  to  be  small  shells,  crabs,  shrimjJS  and  possibly  small 
fish.  The  abundance  of  such  food  on  the  south  coast  of  New  England 
must  be  prodigious  to  supj^ort  the  swarms  that  even  now  are  found  there. 
It  is  in  regarti  to  this  s])ec  ies  that  a  close  time  appears  desirable,  so  that 
access  to  the  spawning-grounds  and  freedom  from  disturbance  may  be 
enjoyed  by  a  sufficient  number  to  maintain  the  species. 

'*  Like  all  other  small  fish,  they  are  tlevoured  by  their  more  rapacious 
fellows,  and  very  largely  by  bluelish,  notwithstanding  a  general  impres- 
sion to  the  contrary.  'I'he  extent  to  which  this  takes  place  will  be  con- 
sidered under  the  head  of  the  bliiefish.  Halibut,  cod,  sharks  and  other 
ground- feeders  likewise  use  them  up  in  great  numbers. 

"As  already  remarked,  the  breeding  fish  tlo  not  appear  \.o  feed  on  their 
first  arrival,  being  then  too  muc  h  occupied  in  carrying  out  the  reproduc- 
tive function.  As,  however,  they  can  be  taken  with  the  hook  about  the 
Tst  of  June,  we  may  infer  that  this  is  about  the  time  they  begin  to  feed 
for  themselves.  The  younger  fish  jirobably  feed  as  soon  as  they  reach  the 
shores.  No  remains  of  fish  have  hitherto  been  found  in  the  stomachs  of 
Scups,  and  we  may  conclude  that  they  are  not  piscivorous. 

"  The  Scup  remain  along  the  northern  coast  until  about  the  middle  of 
October,  when    tlie  larger  ones,  at   U'ast,  begin  to  leave   the  shores  and 


TJIE  SCLl'J'AL'iJ  AXD    THE  PAIR  MAID. 


97 


ni()\L'  out  into  (lcL'i)i.T  watiT.  Mr.  ^'iiKil  I'.dvvards  has.  liovwvir,  taki'iv 
younger  lisli  at  Wood's  Holl  as  late  as  ilic  lotli  of  I  )(.•((.' ml )i'r.  and  ('apt. 
John  kogiTs,  of  Noank,  states  that,  in  fishini,'  for  rod  on  NantiK  kit 
Shoals  late  in  \()vend)cr,  their  stoina<  hs  are  o(  (  asionally  filled  with  small 
S(  lip,  \vhi(  h  dro])S  out  of  their  mouths  when  hauled  on  dec  k,  found  to  he 
to  tile  extent  of  five  or  six  at  a  time.  It  iscpiite  possiMe  that  tlu'v,  as  well 
as  other  fish,  seek  in  winter  that  portion  of  the  (iiilf  Stream  that  corre- 
s|)oiids  in  temperature  to  that  of  their  summer  abode  ;  and  as  the  mean 
summer  temperature  of  the  waters  of  Southern  Massachusetts  and  Rhode 
Island  amounts  to  about  65"  l'.,  they  must  go  nearly  to  the  lati- 
tude of  Norfolk,  \'a.,  before  they  (an  find  that  same  temperature  in  the 
winter  season." 

'I'iiis  s])e(ies  has  a  certain  interest  derisid  from  its  (onnection  with  an 
early  and  imjiortant  incident  in  the  history  of  the  market  lisiieries,  for  we 
are  t(jld  that  the  smack  "Amherst,"  laiUK  hed  July  2X„  I7f>,^  was  the  first 
I'lshing  boat  ])rovided  with  a  well  for  the  tr.uisportation  of  living  fish  ;  and 
that  she  was  intended  for  the  ••  pcrgy  "  fishery.  In  the  New  Wjrk  Gazette 
of  January  30,  1764,  were  printed  some  lines  beginning  thus: 

"  Since  on  our  hanks  the  |)orgys  found 
A  smack  they've  built  to  try  the  jjrouiul."  v\c.,  etc., 

The  "  porgy  "  soon  became  too  common  for  profit  or  jjleasure,  and  the 
fishing  was  abandonetl.* 

Immense  numbers  of  Sciip  are  caught  in  the  pounds  and  trai)s  in  Rhode 
Island  and  Massachusetts,  and  for  several  weeks  in  each  year  the  market 
is  usually  glutted,  a  barrelful  being  freipiently  sold  for  twenty-five  to  fiftv 
cents,  or  a  small  fraction  of  a  cent  a  pound.  It  is  extremely  doubtful 
whether  any  part  of  the  more  northern  (  oast  of  North  .\merica  can  fur- 
nish, within  three  miles  of  the  shore,  as  large  a  weight  of  fish  in  nuu  kerel, 
herring  and  cod  as  has  been  furnished  by  tlie  Scup,  sea-bass  and  tautog 
alone  in  the  waters  of  Rhode  Island  and  Massachusetts.  Mr.  William 
Davol,  of  Rhode  Island,  with  his  "gang,"  caught  2,400  barrels  of  Scup, 
valued  at  $1,200,  at  Seconnet,  in  May,  i860.  Fish  were  purchased  by 
Messrs.  Reynolds,  Young  iv:  Co.,  of  Fall  River,  and  shipped  to  I'hiladelphia. 

In  the  summer  of  1S80  over  2,500,000  pounds  were  sold  in  New  York 
city  alone,  and  the  product  of  the  New  l-higland  fishery  amounted  to  at 
least  double  the  quantity.  As  many  as  10,000  barrels  have  been  taken  at 
once  in  a  single  pound  in  Narragansett  Bay.      The  Scup  is  not  especially 

*  De  Voe,  Market  Assistant,  p.  182. 
7 


i 


>i 


j.i//.A'/r./.v  r/s/rr.s. 


in  f;i\()r  as  a  food-fish,  altli(>iij,'li  whi-n  viTv  fresh  it  is  entitled  to  a  middle 
rank.  l,ar;,'c  oms  should  he  hroiled  with  rii  h  saiu  c,  small  ones  treated  as 
lian-lish.     'I'he  llesh  is  somewhat  dry.  and  wiliioiit  distim  tive  tlavor. 

1  was  j,'reatly  surprised  to  find  this  sjieeies  exposed  for  sale  in  the  markets 
of  Paris  and  Koiii'n  in  i.S.S;,  and  meetinjf  with  a  ready  sale.  A  large 
([uantity  had  heen  sent  in  i<  e  from  Xew  \'ork  to  I'ranc  e. 

The  European  analogue  of  our  American  S<  up  or  l'or;.;y  is  the  .V/<//7/y 
(Vifuidis,  the  Ilrai/e  or  l»e(  ker,  sometimes  I'.ream,  of  the  fishermen.  This 
fish  freipients  the  luirojiean  coast  in  summer,  and  is  said  to  ha\e 
much  the  saiiu'  hahits  as  our  American  species.  They  are  eaten  only  by 
the  poorer  classes. 


W^: 


^ 


THE  SAILORS  CUOICE. 


The  Sailor's  Choice,  La}:;odon  rhomboides,  is  found  in  very  great 
abundance  from  Cape  Hatteras  south,  and  around  the  Gulf  coast  ; 
also  occasionally  north  of  Cape  Hatteras  ;  it  is  known  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  Chesajieake  Bay,  and  two  or  three  stragglers  have  recently  been 
taken  at  Wood's  Holl,  Massachusetts.  It  is  not  uncommon  in  the  Ber- 
mudas. It  may  readily  be  recognized  by  the  longitudinal  stripes  of 
iridescent  color  upon  the  sides,  and  by  the  i)eculiar  character  of  the  teeth, 
each  having  a  ])rominent  notch  on  either  edge. 

The    "Sailor's    Choice,"   as  it  is  called   in   the   St.    John's    River,  at 


/•///•;  scr/7'.iry;   i.v/)  /•///:  i air  maid. 


99 


I'ninswirk,  da.,  and  about  Key  \\'»'^t.  ln-ars  si-vi-ral  otlur  iuiiiu'>..  bi-iiij,' 
known  aliotit  ('apt.'  Ilatti-ras  a>  tin-  ••  Roliiti  "  and  ••  I'in  li^Ii."  at  Cliarks- 
ton  as  the  "Salt-water  Ureain."  at  l!riinswi(  k.  (l,i.,  as  llu-  "  Si|uirr(.'l- 
fish  "  and  ••Sailor's  Choi'i-."  iii  tin-  St.  Inlm's  l\i\or  a-,  the  ••Sailor's 
Clinicc  "  atid  '•  Pori:}'."  in  the  Indian  ki\rr  re.u'ion  a>.  tlu-  "Sailor's 
Choice."  "Scu]>."  and  •■  N\  llow-tail."  at  (  edar  Keys  as  llu  ••  I'orLiv  " 
and  ••Shiner."  and  at  lVnsa<  ola  as  the  ••('hopa  Spina." 

South  c)f  ("ape  Hatteras  this  l"i>h  is  e\ieedin,uly  almndant.  and  is  n>n,illv 
found  in  company  with  the  shei'iishi.id.  whi(  h  it  inn(  h  resend'les  in  h.diits. 
Its  jaws,  however,  are  not  so  stronL,^  as  thn>r  ot"  the  sheepsliead.  1>\'  riMson 
ot"  whi(  h  it  is  debarred  from  feediiiL;  upon  the  stronL;er  slielKd  uiollusks 
and  criistat  I'ans.  whi(  h  toiistitute  the  prim  ipal  diet  of  the  latter. 

( )n  the  Atlantic  coast  the  largest  individuals  rarely  e\(  eid  ten  im  he->  in 
length,  the  ordinary  si/e  in  I'.astern  Florida  lieinL,^  six  (U'  ciuht  iu'  lies, 
with  the  weiLjht  of  I'im-  or  six  ouik  es. 

'I'he  Sailor's  ('hoi(  e  is  one  of  the  most  delic  iouslv  tlavond  i'lshis  nf  our 
coast,  beiiiLj  preferreil  to  the  younj,'  slucp>head  by  many  of  tho-c  who  ari' 
familiar  with  its  i^ood  (lualities.  laigyer  states  that  it  enters  the  (bains  of 
the  ocean  coast  of  Maryland,  and  is  occasionall)'  (  aii^ht  in  I'le  lower  part 
of  the  Chesapeake  I'ay.  A(  (ordinj;  to  Jordan  tluy  are  excessively  abnml- 
ant  everywhere  in  the  harbor  of  Ueaut'ort,  N.  ('..  wlu're  they  are  taken  bv 
the  thousand  by  boys  with  hook  and  line  from  the  whar\es,  but  are  seldom 
used  for  food,  and  are  found  eipially  numerous  through  the  (lulf  States 
coast. 

At  Charleston,  according  to  llolbrook.  this  fish  is  taken  at  all  seasons 
of  the  year,  though  most  plentiful  in  May  and  June.  Xo  referen<  e  is 
made  by  this  author  to  its  \alue  as  an  article  of  fofxl.  At  Brunswick, 
da.,  the  Sailor's  Choice  is  highly  esteemed  ;  in  the  St.  John's  it  is  \erv 
abundant,  and  is  taken  in  company  with  the  sheepshead  far  up  the  river. 
It  is  easily  cajitured  with  hooks  baited  with  shrimp,  and  is  considered  to 
be  a  very  superior  jian-fish,  its  (lesh  resembling  that  of  the  scuppaug, 
though  much  sweeter  and  harder. 

In  the  Indian  River  region,  according  to  Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke,  this  fish  is 
resident  all  the  year,  and  is  very  abundant.  The  weight  of  the  largest 
observed  by  him  was  one  ])ound.  The  average  weight  is  about  five  ounces. 
They  are  found  in  the  deej)  water,  or  salt  water,  feeding  upon  minnows, 
small  crabs,  and   shrimps.      The   spawn   is  pale  blue,  and  of  the  size  of 


il 


1 

i 


I  CO 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


W 


niustaril  seed.  Vounu;  fish  are  r.ccn  in  great  abundance.  They  are  taken 
l)y  hook  with  mullet  or  clam  i)ait,  and  also  in  east-nets  and  seines.  One 
hundred  are  often  taken  by  a  fisherman  in  a  day.  They  are  highly  prized 
fur  food,  and  are  occasionally  salted.  They  are  sometimes  sent  in  ice  to 
Savannah  and  Charleston.  "On  the  Oulf  coast,"  writes  Mr.  Stearns, 
••they  are  very  abundant,  living  and  breeding  in  the  bays  and  bayous. 
They  spawn  in  winter  or  early  si)ring,  and  the  young  of  different  sizes 
may  be  seen  in  May  and  June.  The  adult  fish  li\e  in  deep  water,  while 
the  young  remain  near  shore.  Many  are  caught  by  hook  and  line,  and 
with  tlie  seine." 

A  fisli  known  as  the  "  Sheepshead  Porgy  "  is  said  by  Stearns  to  be 
common  in  tlie  Oulf  of  Mexico  and  about  the  l-'lorida  Reefs.  It  is  caught 
with  hook  and  line,  and  is  sold  in  the  markets  of  Key  AVest.  There  are 
other  species,  known  by  the  name  *'  I'orgy,"  which  are  found  in  this  re- 
gion, such  as  Calamus  hajoimdo,  common  also  at  Charleston,  where  it  is 
callcvl  the  "White-boned  Porgy."  the  "Jolt-head  Porgy."  of  Key  West. 
C.  inci::;accpJiahts,  C.  arctifrons,  the  "  Shad  Porgy  "  of  "  Grass  Porgy  "  of 
Key  We;t,  and  C.  in i: crops. 

California  h:\s  tv.o  important  sjiecics  belonging  to  this  family,  concern- 
ing which  Professor  Jordan  has  communicated  the  following  information  : 

The  Plue-fish,  Girclla  iiii:;n'caiis,  inapjiropriately  so  called,  reaches  a 
length  of  about  fourteen  inches,  and  a  weight  of  three  or  four  pounds.  It 
ranges  from  Monterey  southward,  and  is  very  abundant  aboi;t  the  Santa  Bar- 
bara Islands.  'J'iie  young  of  this  species  are  common  inhabitants  of  the 
rock-p^'jjs.  The  Bluefish  is  entirely  herbivorous,  it  is  a  food-fish  of  good 
([uality,  but  the  flesh  softens  sooner  after  death  than  is  usually  the  case  with 
related  fishes.      It  is  very  tenacious  of  life. 

The  Ilalf-moon,  S(-orpis  cti/ifornintsis.  more  commonly  known  bv  its 
Spanish  name,  Mt'dia/itiui,  reaches  a  length  of  more  than  a  foot,  ami  a 
weight  of  three  or  four  jiounds.  It  ranges  from  Point  Conception  south- 
ward, chiefly  about  the  Santa  Barbara  Islands,  where  it  is  exceedingly  abun- 
dant, and,  in  tiie  winter,  forms  the  greater  jiart  of  the  catch  at  San  Pedro. 
It  feeds  chiefly  upon  crustaceans,  but  is,  to  some  extent,  herbivorous.  It 
takes  the  hook  readily,  is  an  excellent  food-fish,  and,  in  the  Los  Angeles 
market,  is  second  only  to  the  barracuda  in  importance. 


!    .^ 


li,M-\'^x>,>Ks.^ 


Tin;  i!ri>  iiiiiM. 

THE  RED  DRUM. 


Long  as  a  salmnii,  if  nut  so  stout, 

And  springy  ami  swift  as  a  mountain  trout, 

Inni:s  Randolph,  TIu'  Prum-Jisti. 


'T^HE  family  Scicviiii/d-  is  (listribtitctl  along  the  coasts  of  temperate  and 
trojHcal  eountries.  the  world  over,  though  most  abundant  in  the  Western 
Atlantic,  the  Eastern  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans,  and  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean Sea.  In  general  form  many  of  the  members  of  this  family  are  not 
unlike  the  salmon,  and  are  sometimes  mistaken  for  it.  I'hev  are,  how- 
ever, true  spiny-rayed  fish,  and  they  may  be  distinguished  tVom  all  others 
by  the  presence  of  the  comparatively  short,  spiny,  dorsal  fin,  and  a  verv 
long,  soft-rayed  fin  u])on  the  posterior  jiortion  of  the  back. 

Many  of  theni  are  ground-loving  species,  are  provided  Avith  barbels  bv 
which  they  feel  their  way  over  the  bottom,  and  with  strong,  i)avement- 
like  teeth  for  crushing  shell-fish  and  strong  shelled  crustaceans.  To  this 
group  belong  the  fresh-water  Drum,  the  King-fish,  and  others. 

Another  group,  typified  by  the  Stpieteagues,  are  without  the  barbels  and 
possess  long,  sharp  teeth,  being  rapid  swimmers,  and  voracit)Us  surface 
feeders. 

Many  of  the  sjiecies  are  most  abundant  about  the  mouths  of  rivers,  and 
there  are  several  spet  ies,  such  as  the  fresh-water  Drum,  JFaploidouotiis 
gnmnicns,  of  the  Mississippi  ^'aliev,  which  are  found  only  in  fresii  water. 
Nearly  all  have  the  power  of  uttering  loud  sounds.  This,  as  has  been 
demonstrated  by  M.  Dufosse,  is  accomplished  through  a  peculiar  structure 
of  the  air-bladder. 


I 


' 


mm9 


Uu 


I 


i 


'I 


i02 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Sitioiti  oiflhita  is  t,n-L'atly  in  need  of  a  good  English  name.  Other 
forms  more  widely  distributeil  or  better  known  seem  to  have  substantial 
claims  of  priority  upon  all  its  appellations.  In  the  Chesapeake  and  south 
to  below  Cape  Hatteras  it  is  known  as  the  "Drum;"  but,  ro}:;o)iias 
c/iroiiiis,  is  called  by  the  same  name  fro...  Provincetown  to  Texas,  and  is 
the  jjossessor  of  a  much  more  musical  organ.  Some  of  the  old  writers 
coined  names  for  it  like  "Beardless  Drum"  and  "Branded  Drum," 
referring  to  the  brand-like   spots  upon  the  tail  ;  but  these  are  of  no  value 


f( 


In   the  Caroli 


Florida 


<1  the  Clulf 


meet 


th 


ommon  us( 

the  names  "  Bass,"  and  its  variations,  "  Red  Bass,"  "  Sea  Bass,"  "  Reef 
Bass,"  "  Spotted  Bass  "  and  "Channel  Bass."  Many  persons  suppose 
"  Channel  Bass"  to  l)e  a  characteristic  name,  but  this  is  a  mistake,  for 
the  term  is  applied  properly  only  to  large  individuals  which  are  taken 
alone  or  in  pairs  in  the  channels  of  streams  and  sounds  ;  wherever  this 
name  is  used,  the  smaller  fish  of  the  species  are  called  simply  "  Bass"  or 
"  School  Bass  ;"  even  if  tlie  word  "  bass  "  could  be  so  qualified  as  to  be 
applicable  to  the  species,  there  is  an  insuj^erable  objection  to  its  use  for 
any  fish  of  this  family. 

"  Spot  "  sometimes  corrupted  to  "  Spud  "  is  another  name  erroneously 
applied  to  this  fish,  and  which  is  the  property  of  a  much  smaller  species  of 
the  same  family,  otherwise  known  as  "Lafayette"  or  "Cape  May 
Goody." 

Finally,  we  have  the  "  Red  Fish  "  and  "  Red  Horse  "  of  Florida  and 
the  Gulf  States,  the  "  Poisson  Rouge"  of  the  Louisiana  Creoles,  and 
"  Pez  Colorado  "  of  the  Mexicans.  This  is  perhaps  best  for  general  use, 
if  modified  to  "Southern  Red-fish  or  "Red  Drtmi."  The  chief 
objection  is  that  the  fish  is  not  always  red  ;  in  the  young  there  is  not  a 
suggestion  of  this  color,  while  in  the  adult  it  is  more  a  tint,  an  evanescent, 
metallic  refiection  of  claret  from  the  scales,  which  is  often  absent,  and  at 
all  events  soon  disappears  after  life  is  gone.  The  number  of  spots  on  the 
tail  is  variable  ;  usually  there  is  one  or  two,  but  sometimes  as  many  as 
eight  or  ten,  and  their  arrangement  is  a  matter  of  chance,  while  occasion- 
ally they  are  absent.  A  facetious  friend  suggests  that  "Bass  Drum" 
would  not  be  inappropriate,  because  of  all  the  drum  family  it  is  "  hardest 
to  beat." 

The  Southern  Red-fish  is  among  the  important  species  upon  the  coast 
of  the   United    States    from  the  Chesapeake  to  the   Mexican  boundary. 


THE  RED  DRlWr. 


103 


Abundant  as  it  is  in  the  Carolinas,  in  I-'lorida  and  in  the  (Iiilf  of  Mexico, 
the  limits  of  its  range  appear  to  be  \ery  sharply  defined,  there  being  little 
tendency  on  the  part  of  individuals  to  stray  away  from  their  wonted  pas- 
tures.     Although  the  sjieeies  has  long  been  commonly  found  in  the  Chesa- 
peake, I  am  unable  to  find  any  record  of  its  capture  north  of  Cajje  Charles 
jirevious   to    1880,    though  sin(  e   that    date  the  sjiecies  has   been    rather 
abundant   along   the  coast  of  New  Jersey.      Mit(  hill  and  DeKay  refer  to 
it  in  their  books  on  fishes  of  Xew  York,  but  their  descriptions  were  based 
upon  market  specimens,  probably  brought  fnun  more  southern  localities, 
and  Prof.  Ikiird  obtained  none  in  his  exploration  of  the  Xew  Jersey  coast  in 
1S54,  nor  can  it  be  found  in  \\'el)ster"s  collections  from  the  Atlantic  side 
of  the  Virginia  Peninsula.      Its  range  to  the  soath  seems  to  terminate  with 
e(]ual  abruptness.     Stearns  states  that  from  Tampa  Bay  and  northward  to 
the  Mississippi  River  it  is  one  of  the  most  common    e<lible  fishes,  while 
west  of  the  Mississip[n  River  it  is  more  abundant  than  any  otlier  sea-fish, 
evidently  increasing  in  numbers  as  the  Texas  coast  is  approximated.      On 
the  Texas  coast  it  is  more   abundant    than  all  other   food-fishes  together. 
West  of  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  (irande  the  species  has  not  been  recorded, 
chiefly,  no   doubt,  for  the  reason   that  no  explorations   have   been  made 
along  the  shores  of  Mexico.     Tiie   fish   fauna  of  the   Caribbean  coast  of 
Panama  has,  however,  been  carefully  studied,  and  the  species  not  found. 
It  seems  probable  that  its  southern   range   is   limited  by  the  jieninsuUi  of 
Yucatan.      It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  it  does  not  wander  more;   for  every 
other   species,  I  think,  without    exception,  wliich    is    abundant   north   of 
Cape  Hatteras,  is  occasionally  met  with   in    Buzzard's  and    Xarragansett 
Bays. 

Its  movements  and  breeding  liabits  are  not  well  understood.  "  In  the 
spring,"  Stearns  writes,  "'they  are  seen  in  large  numbers  in  the  Gulf, 
swimming  in  shoal  water  near  the  coast.  This  is  usually  in  March  and 
April,  though  the  weather  and  the  temperature  of  the  water  seem  to  in- 
fluence the  time  of  their  arrival.  Arriving  at  the  entrance  of  a  bay,  their 
migratory  movement  ceases,  and  for  days  and  weeks  they  may  be  seen  in 
shoal  water  near  the  inlet  swimming  lazily  about  in  search  of  food,  or 
Iving  quite  still  in  deep  holes  between  shoals,  where  there  is  comparatively 
little  current  and  few  enemies  can  reach  them.  Some  seasons  immense 
numbers  of  Red-fish  gather  about  the  inlets  before  any  are  noticed  inside 
or  coming  in,  while  in  other  seasons  there  is  but  slight  accumulation,  the 


II 


104 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


schools  working  in  as  fast  as  they  arrive.  Uy  the  ist  of  June  the  '  run' 
is  over,  and  the  fish  are  believeil  to  have  all  come  in.  When  once  inside, 
the  schools  break  up  into  small  S(|uads,  which  proceed  to  the  weedy  bot- 
toms of  the  bayous  and  to  the  heads  of  the  bays.  About  the  river  mouths, 
where  the  water  is  br;ukish,  and  even  in  fresh  water,  they  are  found 
through  the  summer.  While  at  sea  their  color  is  light,  and  they  are  so 
thin  in  flesh  that  they  are  far  from  desirable  as  food.  In  the  bays  they 
become  very  fat  and  their  colors  are  much  darker.  In  September  spawn 
is  found  in  them  in  a  half  developed  state.  In  October  and  November 
they  again  form  in  schools  and  are  ob.served  moving  out  of  the  inlets  to 
the  sea.  They  do  not  leave  the  coast  immediately,  but  follow  the  beach 
for  some  days.  At  this  time  they  contain  spawn  which  I  should  think  to 
be  three-fourths  developed.  Many  reliable  fishermen  here  have  observed 
that  the  Red  Fish  go  to  sea  with  spawn  in  them." 

S.  C.  Clarke  has  observed  tlieir  habits  in  the  Indian  River  region,  and 
says:  "  They  enter  the  rivers  and  creeks  from  the  sea.  The  young  fish 
are  here  all  the  time.  The  adults  leave  the  shore  in  a  body  when  done 
spawning.  They  are  first  seen  off  the  coast  in  January  and  February, 
and  remain  in  the  rivers  until  late  in  the  spring.  The  males  and  females 
swim  together,  fre(]uenting  localities  on  shoals  and  sand-banks,  where  the 
water  is  from  one  to  four  feet  deep  and  warm.  After  spawning  they  scat- 
t  ,'r.  They  begin  to  breed  in  August  and  September  in  the  shallow  bays 
anvl  inlets,  at  which  time  both  sexes  are  poor  and  unfit  for  food.  The 
spawn  is  small,  brown,  about  as  large  as  No.  5  shot,  and  floats.  The 
young  are  found  abundantly  in  the  creeks  and  bays. 

I  have  been  told  by  fishermen  on  the  St.  John's  that  in  November, 
when  schooling  begins,  the  fish  are  fuU-roed,  but  that  in  Decemlier  the 
eggs  have  all  been  spent. 

I  have  never  found  the  young  in  the  north  less  than  ten  inches  long, 
but,  in  Pensacola  Bay,  Jordan  and  Stearns  secured  numerous  young  in  the 
seine  in  A])ril,  the  smallest  measuring  two  and  a  half  inches.  Jordan 
supposes  that  they  spawn  in  water  of  no  great  depth.  They  swim  in 
scattered  schools  at  times,  probably  in  the  spawning  season,  and  they  may 
oc'casionally  spring  above  the  surface  while  feeding.  At  this  time  the  fish 
are  taken  in  large  gill-nets,  which  are  set  around  them  by  the  fishermen. 
The  food  consists  chiefly  of  the  crustaceans  and  small  li.ih  with  which 
Southern  waters   are   filled.      It  untloul)tedly  gathers  much  food  from  the 


THE  RF.D  DRl\U. 


105 


bottom,  although  it  connot  be  so  much  of  a  grubber  as  many  other  mem- 
bers of  the  same  family,  better  provided  for  this  kind  of  foraging  by  the 
tactile  organs  under  the  chin,  and  a  set  of  grinding  teeth  with  which  to 
liberate  the  shells  of  muscles  and  barnacles.  An  accurate  observer  de- 
scribes them  as  swimming  along  close  to  the  bottom,  with  head  down  and 
body  obliciuely  upward,  wriggling  through  the  water,  rooting  up  the  weeds 
and  grass,  among  which  are  found  (piantities  of  shrimps  and  crabs.  One 
()l)ser\er  found  ten  or  twelve  eels  of  a  foot  in  length  in  the  stomach  of  a 
Redfish.     'I'heir  enemies  are  sharks,  porpoises  and  saw-fish. 

The  Redfish  attains  a  weight  of  forty  pounds,  and  a  length  of  four  or 
five  feet.  In  the  markets  of  New  York  and  Washington  small  ones  are 
often  seen.  The  average  size  of  those  exposed  for  sale  is  perhajis  ten 
l)Ounds. 

The  chief  demand  in  the  South  is  for  local  consumption,  though  a  few 
thousand  pounds  are  sent  every  year  to  New  York  and  other  cities  of  the 
North. 

S.  C.  Clarke,  in  his  "Game  Fishes  of  Florida,"  expresses  this  opinion  : 
"Take  it  all  in  all,  it  is  the  favorite  game-fish  of  the  South — a  hard, 
honest  fighter,  which  makes  long  runs  in  ojien  water,  seldom  skulking  or 
hi<ling  in  holes,  and  never  giving  up   the  battle  until  fairly  beaten." 

In  discussing  this  s])ccies  as  a  game-fish,  I  cannot  do  better  than  refer 
to  the  experiences  of  11.  S.  AVilliams  in  the  Indian  River  region  : 

"I  have  seen  them,"  writes  Mr  Williams,  "swimming  in  shallow  water 
by  the  hundreds,  sometimes  ten  and  twenty,  moving  witli  almost  the 
regularity  of  solid  columns  of  infantry;  all  a])i)arently  of  the  same  size. 
The  Red  Fish  are  in  season  at  ail  times,  but  best  from  the  ist  of  A])ril 
until  Ji^iiuary  1.  In  size  they  run  \\\i  to  forty,  and  even  fifty,  pounds. 
They  readily  take  mullet  bait,  and  when  securely  hooked  furnish  fine  si)ort, 
for  the  Red  Fish  is  em])hatically  a  game  fish.  I  shall  never  forget  mv 
first  experience  in  this  line,  a  day  or  two  before  the  full  of  the  moon  in 
November.  I  concluded  to  try  a  new  hook  just  sent  me  by  a  distant 
friend.  Just  at  dusk  I  went  down  to  the  river,  and  baiting  my  hook  with 
a  half  mullet,  1  walked  out  on  a  shelving  cocpiina  rock,  and  swinging  the 
hook  around  my  head  a  few  times  sent  it  out  into  the  ri\er  to  the  full 
length  of  the  line  ;  then  filling  and  lighting  my  ])ipe  I  took  a  seat  and 
(juietly  awaited  results.  The  moon,  nearly  full,  was  half  an  hour  or  more 
high,  not  a  cloud  ol)scuring  its  brightness,  and  it  made  a  highway  of  siher 
across  the  broad  river,  now  calm  and  smooth  as  glass.  Scarcely  a  breath 
of  air  stirred  the  leaves  of  the  huge  live-oaks  above  my  head,  and  e\erv- 
thing  was  so  still   that  1  could  distinctly  hear  the  fish   in  shallow  water  a 


f 


«, 


I' 


III 


To6 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


i 


mile  away  as  the  small-fry  dashed  and  jumped  in  their  frantic  endeavors  to 
escape  from  the  ravenous  jaws  of  their  pursiirers  ;  in  fact,  everything  was 
so  siill  that  i  remember  to  have  heard  the  sound  of  a  cow-bell,  two  miles 
away,  as  its  low,  mellow  tones  were  borne  over  the  broad  expanse  of  water. 
1  had  oc(  asionally  taken  a  whiff  or  two  at  my  pijje  and  watched  the  Heecy 
clouds  of  smoke  float  slowly  ujjward  and  dissolve  into  space,  before  some- 
thing sent  an  electric  message  to  my  linger  from  the  other  end  of  the  line. 
Jt  was  a  faint  message,  scarcely  felt,  but  distinct  enough  to  tell  me  what 
was  there.  A  moment's  ])ause  and  then  it  was  repeated  ;  this  time  it  was 
emphatic,  for  the  fish  ])icke(l  up  the  bait  in  its  mouth  as  daintily  as  a 
neatly-gloved  lady  woidd  pick  uj)  an  orange,  and  then  let  it  fall  again. 
Aha  !  my  boy.  ^'ou  are  an  old  hand  at  the  l)usiness,  and  know  bv  past 
exi)erience  that  sometimes  even  the  most  tempting  morsels  are  dangerous. 
A  moment  more  it  is  picked  up  again,  and  yet  again,  and  it  is  carried  a 
couple  of  yards  or  so  before  it  is  dropped  ;  and  then  back  again  ;  then 
further  off.  Our  fish  is  playing  with  the  bait  as  a  cocpiette  with  hearts. 
The  very  moment  a  novice  would  think  that  he  was  going  to  take  it,  'tis 
dropped  and  he  is  gone  again.  No,  not  gone,  only  swimming  around  in 
circles,  kee])ing  one  eye  on  the  prize  and  keeping  away  all  such  intruders 
as  sharks  and  cat-fish. 

"  Now  for  it.  The  bait  is  picked  up,  seized  with  a  vim,  as  though  he 
meant  business,  and  away  he  starts  with  it.  Here  the  inexperiemed 
would  jerk  the  line  and  ])erhai)s  lose  the  fish,  or  at  least  have  the  wh(jle 
formula  to  go  over  again.  But  wait ;  the  successful  s])ortsman  must 
practice  patience.  Again  the  bait  is  dropjied,  but  not  for  long.  In  a 
moment  it  is  seized,  and  this  time  there  is  not  feint  about  it.  He  darts 
off,  the  line  is  drawn  tight,  then  a  sudden  jerk  and  a  wild  i)lunge  tell  that 
the  game  is  safely  hooked.  And  now  commences  the  struggle  for  life. 
Away  he  goes  up  the  stream  for  fifty  yards  or  more,  straining  every  nerve 
to  get  free  :  then  down,  then  back  again,  while  the  line  is  pulled  just  hard 
enough  to  draw  him  in  a  little  nearer  the  shore  ;  then  up  and  down,  each 
time  a  still  shorter  distance.  At  each  effort  1  feel  his  ])owers  give  way, 
and  then  as  he  makes  a  turn  we  ])ull  his  head  toward  the  shore  and  kee|) 
it  there.  Now  is  the  critical  period  ;  now,  if  at  all,  the  line  will  part  or 
the  hook  break.  I  haul  the  line  in  rapidly,  hand  over  hand,  keeping  it 
taut,  for  the  least  slack  or  a  failure  to  grasp  the  line  firmly  would  perhajjs 
lose  the  game.  Swerving  to  and  fro,  I  draw  him  rapidly  in,  and  with 
such  force  does  he  come  that  far  up  the  shelving  rocks  we  land  our  prize, 
a  thirty  pound  I^ass,  a  magnificent  fellow,  his  scales  glistening  like  bur- 
nished silver  in  the  moonlight." 

At  ]\Iay]:)ort,  Fla.,  in  summer,  "  heaving  and 'uui'ing  in  the  surf "  is 
practiced  for  the  capture  of  this  fish,  just  as  it  is  for  bluefish  and  striped 
bass  in  New  England.  Chumming  in  the  Cuttyhunk  and  Newport  style 
would  doubtless  be  very  effective. 


rirE  RED  DRUM. 


107 


Dr.  C.  J.  Kcnworthy,  in  the  American  Aui:^lcr,  gives  an  excellent 
descrii)ti()n  of  the  methods  of  fishing  in  Florida. 

"This  fish  resembles  in  its  habits  its  congener  the  stiiped  bass  of 
Northern  waters.  It  is  an  excellent  biter,  and  makes  a  noble  fight  for 
liberty.  As  a  table  fish,  ii])  to  say  ten  poiinils,  it  is  an  excellent  one,  but 
large  specimens  are  rather  coarse.  The  back  of  the  fish  is  of  a  beautiful 
bronzed  hue,  shading  off  to  a  silvery  lustre  on  the  sides  and  belly.  It  has 
usually  one  or  more  black  spots  at  the  junction  of  the  tail  with  the  bo(l\-. 
but  these  sometimes  extend  upwards  for  one  third  of  the  length  of  the  fish. 
In  a  specimen  I  recently  caiUured  the  spots  numbered  seventeen  on  one 
side  and  twenty-three  on  the  other.  It  is  a  salt  water  fish,  but  is  occa- 
sionally ca])tured  in  fresh  water;  at  times  a  long  distance  from  the  ocean, 
as  in  Crescent  Lake  and  Lake  George.  In  its  habits  it  api)ears  to  differ 
in  different  localities.  In  the  St.  John's  River  it  frequents  the  deejjer 
])ortion  of  the  stream,  with  rock,  shell  or  hard  sand)-  bottom,  but  on  the 
southwest  coast  it  is  generally  captured  in  shoal  water,  on  sand  bars,  edges 
of  grassy  flats  and  near  points  at  inlets.  In  the  northeasterly  portion  of 
the  State  the  large  fish  jiut  in  an  a|)pearance  in  June  and  July,  but  the 
main  run  enter  the  St.  John's  River  in  August  and  September,  leaving  for 
the  sea  in  November.  They  visit  the  bays,  estuaries,  and  rivers  of  the  south- 
west coast  in  the  fall  and  winter,  and,  from  the  best  information  1  can 
obtain,  school  in  June,  and  i)robably  retire  to  the  ocean. 

In  the  Halifax  River,  and  the  tributaries  of  the  Indian  River  and  on  the 
southwest  coast,  they  greedily  take  a  spinner  or  lly,  but  in  the  St.  John's 
River  the.se  baits  have  proven  a  failure.  In  Lake  George  and  Crescent 
Lake  large  fish  have  been  captured  with  a  spinner.  At  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  John's  River  small  specimens  take  shrimp,  and  the  large  fish,  cut  mullet 
bait,  or  the  half  of  a  hard-back  irab.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river  large  fish 
prefer  mullet  to  crab.  But  what  is  somewhat  remarkable,  in  the  autumn 
after  a  severe  northeast  gale  they  ascend  the  river  to  Jacksonville,  twenty- 
five  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  will  not  look  at  cut  mullet  bait,  and  fisher- 
men are  forced  to  tempt  them  with  hard-back  crabs. 

These  fish  vary  in  size  in  different  streams.  In  the  St.  John's  River 
near  its  mouth,  the  summer  and  autumn  run  of  fish  range  from  eighteen  to 
sixty  pounds.  The  smallest  specimen  thus  far  captured  by  the  writer 
weighed  nineteen  pounds.  The  usual  average  will  be  found  to  be  about 
thirty-five  pounds.  My  friend  .Mr.  B. ,  who  is  familiar  with  the  fishing  on 
the  Halifax  River,  informed  me  that  the  largest  specimen  that  he  heard  of 
being  captured  in  that  stream  weighed  thirty-five  pounds  ;  and  from  the 
best  information  we  have  been  able  to  secure,  they  seldom  exceed  this 
weight  on  the  Indian  River.  We  have  captured  many  Bass  on  the  south- 
west coast,  but  none  to  exceed  thirty  pounds  in  weight.  Some  years  since 
one  was  caught  on  the  Homosassa  River  with  spinner  and  hand  line 
weighing  thirty-four  pounds.      Several  years  since  a  visitor  at  Homosassa 


i 


I 


I 


1 


i 


io8 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


offered  a  ])rize  of  a  ramjiing  axe  for  the  largest  fish  captured  rhiring  the 
season.  In  the  company  of  Charles  Hallock  I  visited  the  lo(  ality,  and 
having  a  day  to  spare  1  entered  the  lists.  Provitled  with  a  mullet  for 
bait,  I  visited  Ship  Rock,  and  with  rod  and  reel  soon  brougiit  to  gaff  a 
Channel  Hass  weighing  twenty-four  and  one-half  pounds.  This  proved  to 
be  the  largest  fish  of  the  season,  and  a  few  months  later  I  received  by 
express  a  nicely  finished  camping  axe  with  silver  ])late  and  a])pr()priate 
inscription.  At  one  occasicjii  at  Homosassa  I  trolled  with  rod,  reel  and 
spinner,  and  landed  fourteen  Bass  ranging  from  nine  to  nineteen  jjounds. 
From  my  own  experience  and  such  data  as  I  have  been  able  to  collect, 
Channel  l^ass  visiting  the  St.  John's  River  excel  in  size  those  of  other 
streams  of  the  State. 

During  the  summer  months  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River,  fisher- 
men wade  in  the  surf,  use  a  stout  haml  line,  a  heavy  sinker,  and  mullet  for 
bait,  throw  their  lines  beyond  the  breakers  and  capture  great  numbers  of 
Bass  ranging  from  thirty  to  sixty  ])ounds.  I  have  not  heard  of  any  one 
using  the  rod  and  reel  in  surf  fishing,  but  am  satisfied  that  if  tested  it 
would  afford  exciting  sport.  During  the  latter  part  of  August,  Sejjtember 
and  October  su]ierior  Bass  fishing  can  be  secured  at  the  shells  ojiposite 
the  old  lighthouse  at  Mill  Point  and  Shell  Bank.  Owing  to  the  rapidity 
of  the  current,  and  the  size  of  the  fish,  stout  cable  line  or  braided  cotton 
lines  with  large  hooks  are  used.  At  slack  water,  or  if  the  anchor  is  raised 
when  a  large  fish  is  hooked,  a  stiff  bass  rod,  with  a  large  reel  and  Cutty- 
hunk  line  will  be  found  sufficient  to  bring  these  noble  fish  to  gaff.  Midway 
between  Jacksonville  and  the  mouth  of  the  river  is  a  deep  back  channel 
where  there  is  but  little  tide,  where  large  Bass  congregate,  and  where  a  rod 
and  reel  can  be  successfully  used.  At  almost  any  time  during  August, 
Se])teml)er  or  October  the  fishermen  may  capture  during  a  day's  fishing 
from  three  to  fifteen  of  these  fish,  and  at  times  their  numbers  seem  to  be 
endless." 

From  the  same  excellent  journal  I  quote  the  opinions  of  a  New  Jersey 
drum-fisherman  : 

"  I  fish  for  the  Red  Drum  here  from  a  skiff  anchored  at  sea  in  four  fathoms 
of  water,  a  mile  and  a-half  from  the  beach,  and  use  the  plaited  cotton  cod 
line  and  the  Virginia  drum  hook,  letter  "A,"  No.  4.  Use  menhaden 
bait;  anchor  the  skiff  and  chum  as  for  striped  bass.  I  believe  a  hook 
suspended  so  as  to  hang  a  foot  above  the  sinker  is  most  successful,  thougli 
I  take  them  also  from  the  bottom.  They  are  indiscriminate  feeders, 
smashing  clams  and  catching  menhaden  with  equal  avidity,  but  I  think 
the  oil  of  the  menhaden  attracts  them  from  a  distance,  and  the  latter  is 
therefore  the  best  bait.  I  have  taken  them  upon  all  sorts  of  cut 
bait — Lafayettes,  weak-fish,  etc. 

Brigantine  Beach  just  now  is  level  as  a  table,  the  surf  lireaking  on  it  for 
several  hundred  yards.     This  is  its  normal  condition,  and  it  cannot  now 


77//;  RED  DRUM. 


109 


1)0  fished  witli  conifort  or  siu 

line  aftt-T  the  tide  l)e<,'ins  to  rist 

Oftentimes   the   current    (  ut^ 


cess,  as  vtm  cannot  rea(  li   tlie   lisli   with   vonr 


(Hit   a    dee)) 


slouch. 


or  slUK  e,    withm 


reach   of  high    water  mark.      In    this  tlie    fisii  are  apt  to  < onj^regate.      It 
forms  a  sjiace  of  smooth    water  between    llie   outer   and   inner  breakers, 


tiiroiiLdi  whi(  h  the  current  Hows.  carrvinL^  in  dams,  crabs   and    sa 


nd-ll 


les. 


and  in  wliic  h  the  fish  can  lie  and  feed  ([uietly.  In  these  1  take  the  black 
drum,  and  in  the  autumn  of  iSSo  1  took  three  Red  Drum  in  one  day  on 
15rii,'antine  while  fishiuL;  for  the  otiier  spet  ies. 

In  tlie  surf  the  Drum  nudijes  like  the  shee))shead  when  he  first  takes  the 
bait  ;  in  the  deep  water  he  bites  like  a  shark  of  tiie  lari^e  sjjccies  slowb 
and  heavily,  but  can  l)e  distinguishecl  from  the  shark  wlien  lie  is  hooked 
by  his  iiabit  of  shaking  his  head  in  the  effort  to  throw  the  hook  out." 

The  l'airo])e;in  rejirescntative  of  our  Sciicna  is  tlie  Sciu'iia  ih/iti/d,  called 
"  Maigrc  "  by  the  Frencli  on  account  of  the  whiteness  and  bloodlessness 
of  its  ilesli.  This  fish  has  been  fi)un(l  tVoni  Sweden  to  the  Cape  of  (lood 
Hope  and  Australia,  but  is  most  abimdant  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  is 
comparatively  rare  in  northern  lairope.  The  Dutch  fishermen  believe 
that  they  can  tliscern  the  image  of  the  \'irgin  in  each  scale.  It  is  said 
that  in  Languedoc  it  is  calknl  the  ••  Royal  I'isli  "  (I'eis-re)  a  name  wlii(  h 


calls  to  mind   the   American    '•  King-f 


isi 


viiiJlied 


to   a   (ioselv   re 


lated 


form.  The  ear-stones  or  otoliths,  whii  h  are  \ery  similar  to  those  of  our 
species,  were  formerly  considered  a  sovereign  remedy  torcidic.  an<l  in  the 
middle  ages  were  set  in  amulets,  to  serve  as  ])rophylactics. 

The  Maigrc,  the  **Scii\;na"  of  the  classical  ojjsophagists,  the  "'Onitra"  of 
Venice,  the  "  Fegars"  of  Genoa,  the  "  l-igou  "  of  Nice,  is  still  highly  es- 
teemed, as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Ancient  Rome  and  Crreece,  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  southern  Europe.  The  head  and  shoulders  are  prized  for  broiling, 
as  in  centuries  long  gone  by  when  this  ]Kirt  of  the  fish  was  a  favorite  trib- 
ute from  the  Roman  fishermen  to  the  ci\  ic  magistrates. 


:    It 


^:'M 


TIIK  Wr.VK  FISH  on  RQlTTr.AOl-E. 


THE  SOUETEAGUES. 


Weckvis,  LMi  Si'liol,  en  Carprr,  Hot, en  Snnek, 
Ja  gy  en  hutit  hl-cm  pin'l,  m-cii  watcr-luick, 
C)f't  kricllcr  vcjI  von  Vissulicii  ;  die  (to  sock) 
Ticht  zinj  tc  viiulen. 

Jacoii  Steendam,  't  Lou/  van  yicxi.'  Xidi-rland,  i()6t. 


You've  wcak-fi'ih,  rarp  anc!  tiirhot,  pike  and  plaice  ; 
There's  nut  a  poul,  nr  tiny  wal'Tlraco 
Wliorcswam  not  myriads  of  tl!(-  '"-.ly  race 
Kasily  tabai. 

rruisc  <>/Xi-!u  Xfthcrlaiiif,  translated  by  Hon.  H.  C  Mi'Mihy. 


'T^HE  genus  Cxiioscioti,  is  represented  on  our  Atlantic  coast  by  thret- 
species.  Cynoscion  regale,  the  Weakfish,  or  Squeteague,  is  found 
from  Cape  Ann  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River,  Fla.,  and  possibly 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Cynoscion  caroUucnse,  the  Spotted  S'lueteagtie, 
or  Southern  Sea  Trout,  ranges  from  the  Chesapeake  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
and  Lake  Pontchartrain.  The  Silvery  Squeteague,  Cynoscion  notJium,  is  a 
fish  of  somewhat  unusual  occurrence,  observed  at  Charleston  and  in  East 
and  West  Florida.  There  was  still  another,  described  by  Holbrook  under 
the  name  Cynoscion  thalassinum,  which  has  not  been  seen  by  other  natur- 
alists, and  which  is  probably  not  a  valid  species. 

Like  all  of  our  important  fishes,  which  have  no  European  representative, 
the  Squeteague  are  known  by  a  great  variety  of  names.  About  Cape  Coil 
thev  are  called   "Drummers;"   about  Buzzard's  Bay  and  in  the  vicinity 


THE  Sq  UE  TEA  G I  VuV. 


Ill 


the  Iarj,H'st  are  known  as  "  Yellow  I'lns  ;"  in  New  \'()rk  and  in  New  jei>ev. 
•'Weak-fish;"  from  Southern  New  |erse\  to  \'ir;4inia,  '•  liliielish."  'The 
name  "  S<iueteagMe  "  is  of  Indian  orii^dn,  and  "  S(|iiit."  •' Siu  i oteagiie." 
"S(initcc"  and  "  (Ihickwit  "  are  doubtless  variations  of  this  name  in 
different  ancient  and  modern  dialeris.  In  the  Southern  Atlantic  States 
it  is  called  "  drey  Trout,"  "  Sun  Trout  "  and  "  Shad  'I'rout."  and  with 
the  other  members  of  the  genus  is  spoken  of  under  the  name  "  Sea  Trout  '" 
and  "  Salt-water  Trout,"  though,  of  ( oursi',  di>tini  t  fiom  the  "  trout  "  of 
the  fresh  waters  of  tht;  South,  whi(  h  is  a  Uhu  k  Uass.  The  name 
"  Squeteague,"  since  it  is  the  aboriginal  In<lian  term,  seems  mo^t  (  har- 
acteristic,  and  is  well  worthy  of  being  ])ermanently  retained. 

"  \Veakfish  "  apjtears  to  be  a  legacy  from  tlie  Dutch  colonists  of  Man- 
hattan, as  may  be  inferred  from  the  use  of  the  word  in  the  poem  (piotetl 
at  the  head  of  this  essay.  It  means  a  soft  fish,  but  whether,  like  Moss- 
bunker,  this  name  was  transferred  from  some  spec  ies  known  to  them  in 
Holland,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn.  Some  old  authorities  u-.e  the 
name  "  Wheatfish,"  and  Brown  in  the  "Angler's  (Inide,"  ac<'ounts  tor  this 
by  the  theory  that  in  former  days  the  fish  made  its  a])pearance  in  harvest 
time.  It  is,  in  all  likelihood,  however,  a  corruption  of  the  Dutch  name. 
This  etymology  resembles  those  suggested  for  "  Weak  fish,"  '•  because  he 
does  not  pull  very  much  after  he  is  hooked,"  or,  as  others  allege,  "be- 
cause the  laboring  men  who  are  fed  upon  him  are  weak  by  reason  of  the 
deficient  nourishment  in  that  kintl  of  food." 

The  Squeteague  is  found  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Cape  Cod  to 
Eastern  Florida,  where  I  observed  it,  sparingly,  in  1S7S.  Its  extreme 
southern  distribution  has  not  yet  been  indicated.  Some  writers  have 
claimed  that  it  occurs  at  New  Orleans,  but  Mr.  Stearns  did  not  succeed  in 
finding  it  in  the  Gulf,  and  Prof.  Jordan  writes  that  it  is  certainly  not  found 
in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  unless  as  a  stray. 

The  Squeteague  is  abundant  throughout  the  above  range,  except  in  the 
regions  where  its  productiveness  is  interfered  with  by  the  bluefish.  In 
Massachusetts  Bay,  according  to  Dr.  Store  ,  it  is  very  rare,  but  scatter- 
ing individuals  have  been  found  as  far  north  as  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  The 
early  annals  of  New  England  make  frequent  mention  of  this  fish  and  of 
its  variations  in  number  with  that  of  the  bluefish.  Thus,  according  to 
Dr.  Storer,  it  was  very  abundant  in  the  \'ineyard  Sound  in  the  early  part 
of  the  present  century,  but  gradually  became  more  scarce,  until  about 


I  12 


AM/-: RICA X  J'ISJfES. 


1870,  wIkm  it  \v:is  110  IniiLtiT  to  l)c  nii't  with,  ;nnl  for  si'vcral  ytvirs  it  was 
t'litirt'ly  uiiknnwii  '\w  tlicsc  waters  ;  so  much  so,  iiuU'cil,  that  (Khcniun  of 
many  years'  e\|icricn(c  were  totally  una(  (|iiainte(l  with  its  ciiarac  teristics. 
In  I1S67  or  i(S6S,  however,  scattering  in<li\i(liials  were  taken  on  the  south 
j'oast  of  Massachusetts,  ami  in  1S70  they  were  ([uite  abundant  and  have 
siui  I'  luld  their  own.  I'ut  they  are  nowhere  at  any  season  so  abundant  as 
in  suninuT  along  the  stretch  of  shore  from  Norfolk  to  Nantucket.  They 
arri\e  witli  the  bluet'ish  in  late  May  and  early  June,  are  most  abundant  in 
August,  and  depart  in  advance  of  the  bluefish  at  the  very  bi'ginning  of 
aiuumn.  'I'hey  swim  in  large  schools  at  the  surface,  jtursuing  the  men- 
haden and  scup,  on  which  they  savagely  feed.  I  have  frecpiently  seen  a 
tiiousand  or  more  taken  in  one  night  in  oik  of  the  weirs  on  Martha's 
Vineyard  Sound. 

Tile  most  remarkable  draft  on  record  is  that  referred  to  in  Jidy,  iSSi,  by 
Mr.   Darnet  Phillips  in  the  New  York   Times : 

".V  great  catch  of  AVeakfish  was  made  yesterday  about  two  miles  ofT 
Rockaway  l>ea(  h,  by  the  steam  sma<  ks  "  10.  T.  DelMois,"  Cajit.  J.  A. 
Keene ;  "Leonard  IJrightman,"  Capt.  lOlijah  I'owers,  and  "J.  \V.  Haw- 
kins," C'apt.  J.  \V.  Hawkins.  'I'hese  smacks  are  engaged  in  the  men- 
haden oi  '•  mossbunker  "  fishery  for  the  oil-rendering  and  fish-scrap  works 
on  r>arren  Inland,  and  were  cruising  off  Rockaway  yesterday  in  search  of 
schools.  About  noon  a  vast  school  of  what  the  fishermen  supposed  at  first 
to  be  menhaden  was  discovered  stretching  along  the  coast  for  miles.  'I'o 
borrow  their  language,  ' 'l"he  water  w;4s  red  with  the  fish,  but  they  ilidn't 
break  the  surface  as  menhaden  always  do.'  The  boats  were  lowered,  the 
seines  spread,  and  then  it  was  discovered  that  the  school  was  of  Weakfish 
and  not  menhaden.  *  I  have  been  in  the  business  for  twenty  years,'  said 
the  mate  of  the  '  I'rightman,'  '  and  I  never  saw  anything  like  it  before.' 
The  fish  varied  in  length  from  one  and  a  half  to  three  feet,  and  in  weight 
from  three  to  seven  pounds.  The  *  DelJlois  '  took  over  200  barrels,  the 
'Hawkins'  150  barrels,  and  the  '  Brightman  '  350  barrels.  The  entire 
catch  was  estimated  at  something  over  200,000  j^ounds,  which,  at  the 
ordinary  market  jjrice  for  Weakfish — seven  cents  a  ])oimd — would  amount 
to  $14,000.  But,  of  course,  the  market  price  could  not  be  maintained 
in  the  presence  of  such  a  catch  as  this." 

The  Siiueteague  comes  on  the  coast  of  New  England  in  summer  in  pur- 
suit of  food.  Its  wanderings  do  not  often  carry  it  north  of  Monomoy. 
"In  the  days  of  my  boyhood,"  said  Capt.  Atwood,  when  before  the 
Rhode  Island  Legislature  in  1S71,  "  my  neighbors  often  si)oke  of  a  fish 
called  the    'drummer,'  which  is  the  same  variety  that  you  call  the  Stjuc- 


' 


Tlfl:   SQIETEAGLES. 


".i 


tiMLjiK'.  \vhi(  li  wen-  s(i  iik'niilcl  tli.il  lluy  < oiild  In.-  laki'ii  li\  thi'  hoat-load. 
I'.iit  in  1.S16,  wlun  I  first  wiiu  iiiln  a  fishing  boat,  tht-y  had  (lisa|>|)iMri<U 
ami  I  (lid  not  sci-  a  sinj,dc  s|ic(  inicn  for  many  yi'ars.  Siix  r  that  liiiu-, 
howi'Ncr.  tlu'V  ha\c'  (  (unMUMu  rd  ritiirMiiii^  in  <  onsidirahU'  mnnhiTs."  The 
j)i()ni'(.r  of  this  ri'turn  «  anu-  to  I'ros  in(  itown  Jimc  j_^,  1S47.  ("apt.  At- 
wood's  prt-'dii  tion  of  tlu'ir  ahiindant  ntmn  has  not  yt't  been  srrifud. 
'I'hfir  movements  further  sontii  lia\e  heen  no  less  eccentrii  ;  and  this 
fipecies  illustrates  in  a  very  forcible  manner  tlie  axiom  of  the  ii  hthyologist. 
that  the  mo\ements  of  the  o(  t.'anic  fishes  are  the  efl'ei  t  of  laws,  as  )et  but 
little  understood,  upon  \vhi(  h  the  finble  elforts  of  man  have  no  aii|ire(  i- 
able  efft'ct.  C!ol.  'TiK-odore  Lyman  has  written:  "'I'liis  fisli  is  hi;,ddy  in- 
teresting as  one  of  those  which  has  appeared  and  disappeari'd  alternately 
on  our  coast.  In  iSo_^  it  was  abundant  in  Rhode  Island,  and  veryplentv 
at  Provincetown  as  late  as  i<S.;o.  In  1.S32  it  deserted  \'ineyard  Sound  (and 
the  northern  part  of  the  Cape  e\en  before  that),  '*'  *  *  and  now 
(1872)  for  l"i\e  or  six  years  it  has  grown  abundant,  apparently  increasing 
as  the  bluefish  decreased,  until  this  season  when  the  weirs  have  tal-cen 
hundreds  at  a  haul."  C'apt.  .\twood  tells  me  that  in  1S45  he  noticed 
them  in  \ew  York,  when  the  weekly  supply  would  not  ha\e  exceeded  one 
thousand  pounds,  while  thirty  years  later  he  found  them  coming  in  by  the 
ton.  Mr.  David  T.  Chunh  wrote  in  iSyi:  "  Scup  have  disappeared 
from  Narragansett  Hay,  but  Sipieteague  iia\e  taken  their  i)lace,  and  where 
ten  years  ago  there  were  millions  of  scu]),  now  there  are  almost  none,  but 
millions  of  Scpi^teague.  Hundreds  of  acres  could  be  seen  any  (dear  day 
between  Point  Judith  and  Providence." 

There  h.is  been  a  curious  relation  between  the  j)eriodical  variations  in 
the  abundance  of  bluefish  and  S(pieteague,  the  latter  having  been  most 
numerous  when  bluefish  were  least  so,  but  nf)  one  fully  understands  its 
cause.  The  habits  of  the  two  species  are  very  similar  ;  their  times  of 
coming  and  going,  and  probably  their  favorite  water  temperature,  nearly 
identical.  They  feed  in  the  same  manner  and  upon  the  same  animals, 
and  the  bluefish  being  the  swiftest  swimmer  and  the  most  voracious  feeder, 
its  presence  in  large  numbers  possibly  interferes  with  the  food  sui)[)ly  of 
the  S([ueteague.  It  is  not  impossible  that,  though  both  species  much  pre- 
fer menhaden,  the  bluefish  may  frecjuently  vary  its  diet  by  feeding  on  its 
weaker  comrade. 

Some  inexplicable    cause  had  a  similar  influence  upon   the    bluefish, 


114 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


whi(  h  l)L'(aine  scarce  in  turn  ;  thus  the  Scjueteague  was  enabled  to  recover 
its  ground,  and  to  resume  its  jilace  in  the  food  economy  of  the  coast.  To 
what  extent  the  disai)pearance  or  reajjpearance  of  the  Squeteague  is  act- 
ually connected  with  that  of  the  bluel'ish  it  is  impossible  at  present  to  stat(.'. 
It  is  (piite  likely  that  other  causes,  at  least,  are  concerned,  with  which  we 
are  now  unac(|uainred. 

The  striped  bass  is  also  an  associate  of  the  Scjueteague,  which,  though 
essentially  a  loast  and  salt-water  fish,  occasionally  runs  into  tidal  waters, 
and  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  is  thought  to  i)refer  the  vicinity  of  streams 
where  there  is  a  mixture  of  fresh  and  salt  water.  "  He  never  goes  into 
fresh  streams  or  ponds,"  wrote  S.  L.  Mitchill,  "  but  within  the  limits  of 
salt  water  is  taken  in  almost  all  the  places  where  the  rock-fish  is  caught. 
The  Weakfish  is  so  much  the  companion  of  the  bass  that  I  once  gave  him 
the  specific  name  of  Coiiirs.'"  Prof.  Baird  has  recorded  that  in  Southern 
New  Jersey,  where,  at  times,  in  consecp.ience  of  drought  there  is  less  water 
brought  into  ICgg  Harbor  than  usual,  they  are  known  to  move  to  a  con- 
siderable distance  up  towards  the  head-waters,  and  to  leave  in  a  great 
measure  their  ordinary  grounds  more  seaward. 

We  have  intimations,  in  the  writings  of  the  early  historians  of  New 
England,  of  the  disappearance  and  returns  of  the  Weak-fish,  like  those 
referred  to  in  the  present  century. 

It  is  said  tliat  when  they  ap])ear  off  tiie  coast  of  New  Jersey,  about  the 
middle  of  June,  they  are  found  to  be  filled  with  spawn,  and  that  the  early 
fish  in  Narragansett  Bay  have  not  si)a\vned.  This  statement  requires  con- 
firmation. Thousands  of  individuals  have  been  examined  by  the  Fish 
Commission  naturalists  at  different  times  in  the  summer,  and  it  is  but  rare 
that  traces  of  spawn  have  been  found.  The  precise  period  of  spawning 
along  the  coast  and  the  localities  where  the  eggs  are  laid,  as  well  as  the 
habits  of  the  fish  during  that  period,  are  but  little  known,  and  are  well 
worthy  of  careful  investigation. 

At  Beasley's  Point  the  young  fish  of  the  year  have  in  August  attained 
a  length  of  about  four  inches,  and  differ  from  the  adults  in  lacking  entirely 
the  characteristic  spots,  these  being  replaced  by  broad,  vertical  bands, 
which,  together  with  their  more  compressed  form,  render  their  appear- 
ance very  unlike  that  of  the  adult. 

The  young  are  rarely  seen  in  New  England.  Dr.  Bean  obtained  a 
single  individual    three    and   one    half  inches   long   in    Herring   River, 


THE  SQUETEAGCES. 


I '5 


A\'a(iui)it,  Mass.,  August  9,  1S75.  the  onlv  instaucc  of  sucli  a  (  aptuix'  in 
tlu'  coursL-  of  many  years'  careful  e\|)loration  of  that  region.  \'oinig  fish, 
four  inches  long,  are  eonmion  in  Southern  Xew  Jersey  in  August.  The 
growth  of  the  species  is  ([uite  rapid,  the  weight  of  four  [lounds  apparentlv 
being  attained  in  about  three  years.  The  largest  I  renieinber  to  have 
seen  weighed  about  ten  jxiunds.  though  this  is  not  an  unusual  si/e. 

The  Squeteague,  as  well  as  the  bluefish,  \aries  in  si/e  with  the  localitv. 
A\'hile  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  thev  do  not  average  much  o\er  one 
])()un(l,  they  are  stated  to  occasionally  attain  the  weight  of  from  six  to  ten 
pounds,  and  have  even  been  known  to  weigh  thirty. 

The  Sijueteague  in  the  Soiuh  is  a  resident  fish,  although  said  b\-  !lol- 
brook  to  be  most  abundant  and  largest  in  the  autumnal  months,  wlien,  in 
his  opinion,  they  come  from  the  north.  It  is  not  satisfactorily  ascertained, 
however,  whether  these  fish,  leaving  the  northern  coast  during  winter 
time,  migrate  southward  or  more  towards  the  warm  waters  of  the  (lulf 
Stream.  They  return  to  the  coast  of  the  Middle  or  Xorthern  States 
early  in  the  spring,  the  first  being  taken  in  May,  and  are  most  abundant 
from  June  to  Se]itember. 

Although  its  flesh  is  soft,  it  is  delicately  flavored,  and  is  one  of  the 
favorite  food-fishes  of  the  South  Atlantic  and  (lulf  States,  its  chief  rivals 
being  the  pompano,  the  whiting,  the  sheepshead  and  the  red  snapper. 
In  the  North  the  Squeteague  is  in  moderate  demand,  particularly  at  the 
close  of  the  shad  season. 

Among  anglers,  according  to  the  late  (lenio  C.  Scott,  this  fish  is  con- 
sidered as  second  in  interest  among  those  of  the  coasts  and  estuaries.  In 
the  opinion  of  this  eminent  authority,  the  striped  bass  holds  the  highest 
rank. 

I'rof.  Baird  has  written:  "The  s])ort  of  catching  the  Squeteague  is 
very  great,  and  is  highly  enjoyed  by  many  fishermen,  on  account  of  the 
creat  number  that  can  be  taken  in  a  verv  short  time.  Thev  swim  near 
the  surface  and  require  a  line  but  little  leaded.  They  take  almost  any  kind 
of  bait,  especially  clams,  soft  crabs  or  pieces  of  fish.  They  take  the  hook 
with  a  snap,  rarely  condescending  to  nibble,  and  constant  vigilance  is  neces- 
sary, as  well  as  extreme  care  in  hauling  them  out  of  the  water,  on  account 
of  the  extreme  tenderness  of  the  mouth.  During  the  flood  tide  they  keep 
in  the  channel-ways  of  the  bays,  and  at  the  ebb  they  generally  settle  in 
some  deep  hole,  where  they  remain  until  the  flood  entices  them  out  again. 


' 


I 


ii6 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


In  the  night  they  are  much  in  the  habit  of  running  up  the  creeks  in  the 
salt  meadows,  where  they  are  sometimes  taken  in  great  numbers  by  inter- 
])osing  Ijetween  them  and  the  sea,  just  before  the  period  of  high  water. 
Tliis  experiment  is  not  a  very  satisfactory  one  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey, 
in  consequence  of  the  abundance  of  crabs.  The  smaller  fish  become 
gilled  in  the  net  meshes,  thus  inviting  the  attacks  of  the  crabs,  which  cut 
the  nets  to  pieces,  often  ruining  them  in  a  single  night." 

When  taken,  the  Scjueteague  makes  a  peculiar  croaking,  audible  at  a 
considerable  distance  ;  and  it  is  said  that  this  is  not  unfrequently  heard 
from  a  boat  when  passing  over  a  scliool  of  them  in  the  water  beneath. 

The  Sea  Trout,  or  Deep-water  Trout,  of  Charleston,  described  by  Hol- 
brook  under  the  name  Otolitlius  tlialassinus,  is  without  much  (jucstion 
identical  with  the  Northern  Scjucteague,  although  that  author  states  that 
it  iliffers  from  this  fish  entirely  in  its  habits,  since  it  is  only  found  in  the 
ocean  and  deep  water,  and  never  approaches  the  bays  and  inlets  along  the 
coast,  while  it  is  a  larger  animal. 

The  few  specimens  which  Holbrook  saw  were  taken  off  Charleston  Bar, 
about  twenty  miles  from  land  and  in  about  fifteen  or  twenty  fathoms  of 
water.  The  very  peculiarities  which  he  mentions  are  characteristic  of 
the  adult  Squeteague. 

The  Spotted  Squeteague,  Cyiioscion  maculatum,  is  a  species  associated 
with  the  Squeteague  in  the  waters  off  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  and  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  Virginia.  It  belongs  to  the  same  genus,  but  somewhat 
different,  being  characterized  by  the  presence  of  well-defined  dark  spots. 
It  becomes  more  abundant  as  we  proceed  southward,  until  off  the  coasts  of 
North  Carolina  and  Georgia,  where  it  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  food- 
fishes.  Owing  to  its  shape  and  the  presence  of  well-marked  spots  on  the 
sides  it  is  usually  known  on  the  southern  coast  as  the  "Salmon"  or 
•'Spotted  Trout,"  and  there  are  not  wanting  sportsmen  in  the  Southern 
States  who  maintain  with  dogmatic  earnestness  the  existence  of  a  true 
Salmon  Trout  in  the  waters  of  their  coast.  The  early  colonists  of  the 
Carolinas  knew  full  well  that  the  trout  was  a  spotted  fish,  and  that  it  was 
a  most  desirable  fish  withal  ;  their  warm  streams  had  no  genuine  trout, 
and  they  could  not  carry  in  their  untrained  minds  the  image  of  the  trout 
of  England,  so  very  different  from  Cyiioscion.  A  much  better  name  for  it 
would  be  "Spotted  Squeteague."  It  is  difiicult,  however,  to  bring 
about  a  change  in  a  name  which  has  been  in  use  for  several  generations. 


THE  SQ  UE  TEA  GVES. 


117 


and  it  is  probable  that  the  name  "  Sea  Trout  "  will  always  be  used.  Genio 
Scott  proposed  the  name  "Spotted  Silver-sides,"  which  is  not  particularly 
appropriate,  and  which  no  one  but  himself  has  ever  used. 


Tlir:  SPOTTED  SQUKTEAOIT,. 

The  history  of  American  fishes  contains  very  little  respecting  the  habits 
of  this  species,  although  it  is  so  im])ortant  an  element  of  food  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Southern  coast.  We  have,  however,  been  favored  by 
Dr.  H.  C.  Yarrow  with  notes  made  at  Fort  Macon,  N.  C,  in  which  many 
of  the  deficiencies  in  our  information  are  supplied.  Ai  cording  to  his 
account,  the  Spotted  Trout  is  not  found  in  that  locality  during  the  winter, 
or  only  in  small  numbers,  making  its  first  appearance  in  February  on  its 
Avay  from  the  south,  and  attaining  its  greatest  abundance  about  the  middle 
of  April. 

Little  is  known  of  its  rate  of  growth,  although,  according  to  some  ob- 
servers, this  increase  amounts  to  about  six  inches  per  annum  ;  so  that  a 
fish  of  average  size,  or  eighteen  inches,  may  be  considered  as  three  years 
old.  There  is  no  perceptible  difference  in  the  sexes  as  to  rate  of  growth 
or  general  appearance,  excepting  in  the  fuller  belly  of  the  female. 

Dr.  Yarrow  states  that  they  come  from  the  south  in  the  spring  and  pass 
through  the  inlets  on  the  flood  tide,  the  date  of  their  first  api)earance 
varying  with  that  of  the  opening  of  spring.  They  remain  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  inlets  and  sounds  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina  until  about  May, 
when  they  gradually  proceed  northward,  extending  their  journey  as  far  as 
the  shores  of  Long  Island,  where  a  few  only  are  taken,  plthough,  ])erhaps, 
their  number  may  be  considerable.  They  reappear  on  the  coast  of  North 
Carolina  in  September,  and  thence  proceed  south,  following  the  same 
course  as  that  by  which  they  came,  but  leaving  on  the  ebb  instead  of  the 


iiS 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


flood  tide.  They  are  fouml  in  the  winter  as  far  south  as  St.  Augustine, 
and  possibly  below  this  point,  although  we  have  no  i)ositive  assurance  of 
this  fact. 

At  present  they  arc  thought  to  be  more  abundant  than  any  other  fish  on 
the  Carolina  coast,  with  the  exception  of  the  mullet,  having  increased  in 
numbers  largely  (at  least  twofold)  within  the  last  fifteen  years,  jmssibly 
in  conseciuence  of  the  intermission  of  capture  during  the  war.  The 
average  length  is  about  eighteen  inches,  with  a  weight  of  two  pounds, 
although  they  are  ::jt  unfrequently  found  three  feet  in  length  and  ten 
l)0unds'  weight.  They  are  often  found  outside  of  the  beach  in  great 
numbers  in  January,  coming  in  to  the  shore  when  the  water  is  warm, 
about  February,  as  stated.  School  follows  school  at  intervals  of  about 
four  or  five  days,  when  they  seem  to  go  northward  and  to  be  absent  from 
the  Southern  coast  for  several  months.  On  their  return  in  September, 
after  a  short  stay,  they  gradually  leave  the  coast  until  they  finally  disappear 
for  nie  season.  Their  return  season  by  season  is  very  regular  and  definite, 
being  relied  upon  with  much  confidence.  The  successive  "runs"  do  not 
seem  to  be  classified  in  any  particular  way,  large  and  small  fish  of  both 
sexes  coming  in  together.  The  colder  the  weather  the  less  tendency  they 
appear  l;o  exhibit  to  come  towards  the  shore. 

At  their  first  appearance  in  the  spring  the  spawn  is  no'  appreciable,  nor, 
according  to  Dr.  Yarrow,  do  they  have  any  development  of  the  ovaries 
during  their  stay  on  that  coast ;  and  he  is  under  the  impression  that  they 
breed  during  their  autumnal  and  winter  stay  farther  south.  This,  how- 
ever, is  scarcely  probable,  it  being  more  likely  that  their  spawning  ground 
is  more  to  the  north,  perhaps  off  the  coast  of  Virginia. 

Their  presence  is  generally  made  known  by  the  schools  of  porpoises 
which  follow  and  feed  upon  them.  Swimming  low  in  the  water,  they 
make  no  ripple  on  the  surface,  as  is  t'  -^  case  with  mullets.  The  time  of 
their  capture  is  usually  on  the  young  flood,  as  in  their  movements  along 
the  shore  they  come  in  on  the  rising  tide  and  depart  on  the  ebb. 

Like  their  representatives  in  the  north,  these  fishes  are  fond  of  penetrat- 
ing, for  a  short  distance  at  least,  into  the  mouths  of  rivers,  remaining, 
however,  only  about  a  week ;  this,  according  to  Dr.  Yarrow,  is  their 
habit  on  the  coast  of  North  Carolina,  before  leaving  for  the  North. 

A  singular  phenomenon  illustrating  the  delicate  organization  of  this 
and   the   related  species,   is  described  by  Mr.    N.  E.  Armstrong,  of  On- 


THE  SQUETEAGCES. 


119 


slow,  Co.,  X.  C.  "  When  we  liave  extremely  i  old  and  ( loudy  weather,  and  \ 
beliexe  also  windy  weather  for  three  or  four  ilavs,  the  'i'rout  at  the  mouth  of 
Xcw  Ri\er  are  benmnbed,  and  on  the  first  simny  day  rise  to  the  surfa(  e, 
and  after  a  day  or  two  die  and  sink  to  the  bottom  or  are  washed  ashore. 
As  soon  as  they  rise,  there  are  generally  hundreds  of  men  ready  with  nets, 
dip  nets,  gigs,  and  in  some  instances,  nothing  but  their  hands  and  boats, 
to  i)i(k  them  ui).  They  are  sometimes  washed  ashore  in  long  heaps,  two 
and  three  feet  deep,  for  a  consiilcrable  ilistance.  When  these  '  numbs  ' 
occur,  it  is  generally  known  through  this  and  the  adjoining  counties,  and 
carts  and  wagons  come  for  the  fish  by  hundreds — sometimes  from  a  dis- 
tance of  fifty  or  sixty  miles.  The  New  River  is  a  wide  and  very  shallow 
l)ay  for  the  distance  of  twenty  miles  from  its  mouth.  There  was  a  '  numb  ' 
in  January,  1877,  and  another  in  the  winter  of  1S79,  about  the  same  time, 
but  they  do  not  occur  frequently." 

They  prefer  sandy  and  grassy  bottoms,  and  are  particularly  fond  of  shal- 
low water,  four  or  five  feet  deep,  especially  in  still  waters  and  eddies. 
Their  favorite  food  is  small  mullet  and  other  diminutive  fish,  as  well  as 
still  more  largely  shrimps  and  small  crustaceans  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
they  are  eaten  voraciously  by  Weak-fish,  blue-fish,  drum  and   porpoises. 

In  market  fishing,  nets  are  generally  employed,  though  some  fish  are 
occasionally  speared.  They  are  taken  in  seines,  nsually  having  a  mesh  of 
about  one  and  one-half  inches,  made  of  No.  8  cotton  twine,  about  one 
hundred  yards  long  and  ten  feet  deep.  When  the  fish  first  begin  to  make 
their  appearance  the  fishermen  establish  themselves  in  their  boats,  just  out- 
side the  surf,  and  watch  along  the  crest  of  the  breakers.  When  the  fish 
are  seen  the  net  is  paid  out  from  the  stern  of  the  boat,  one  man  leaping 
overboard  with  a  rope  attached  to  one  end  of  the  net,  while  a  man  in  the 
boat  pulls  rapidly  around  the  school  so  as  to  inclose  it.  The  net  is  then 
drawn  carefully  to  the  shore.  The  average  catch  of  two  men  for  a  day 
may  be  set  at  about  three  hundred  pounds,  although  a  much  greater 
amount  than  this  could  l)e  taken  if  desirable. 

They  are  used  when  fresh,  and  sent  up  into  the  small  towns  in  the  in- 
terior in  large  numbers.  The  flesh  is  of  an  excellent  (piality,  much  supe- 
rior to  that  of  the  Weak-fish,  being  firm,  white,  and  flaky,  and  will  keep 
well  for  three  or  four  days,  unless  the  weather  be  too  warm.  It  is  some- 
times salted  down  for  home  use  by  the  inhabitants  along  the  coast,  and 
much  esteemed.      Dr.  Yarrow   estimates  that  about  two  hundred  barrehj 


I20 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


were  salted  (luring  the  season  of  I S7  I    l)y   the   fishermen,  in   his  vicinity. 

The  fish  bring  about  Js3  per  hundred  at  wholesale,  and  $5  at  retail,  this 
being  ecjual  to  the  average  for  the  last  ten  years. 

Silas  Stearns  writes: 

"  The  Spotted  Trout  is  abundant  from  Key  West  to  Mexico.  In  the 
Pensacola  region  it  is  i)resent  all  the  year,  although  most  abundant  in 
summer.  It  i)refers  to  remain  in  shoal  waters  on  grassy  bottom,  where  it 
finds  small  fish  and  shrimps  in  abundance  for  food.  It  breeds  in  inside 
waters  in  July  and  August.  Quantities  of  the  fry  are  seen  in  August  and 
September.  They  do  not  often  form  in  schools  in  the  bays,  but  in  some 
places  are  so  ]>lentiful  that  it  is  not  unusual  to  catch  five  or  eight  barrels 
at  one  drag  of  a  seine.  One  man  fishing  with  hook  and  line  sometimes 
catches  one  hundred  in  less  than  a  day.  The  Trout  is  an  excellent  food- 
fish,  and  of  considerable  importance  to  the  fish  trade.  The  demand  for  it 
would  be  much  greater  if  it  was  not  so  hard  to  preserve  in  this  climate." 

S.  C.  Clarke  writes  that  it  is  more  of  a  game  fish  than  the  Squeteague, 
active,  vigorous  and  voracious,  and  cai)turable  with  similar  fishing  gear. 
He  recommends  a  bamboo  rod  of  eight  or  nine  feet,  a  multiplying  reel 
with  drag,  and  100  to  150  yards  of  fifteen  thread  flax  line,  with  hook  of 
the  Cuttyhunk  pattern,  and  ounce  sinkers  of  hollow  lead. 

The  Silver  Squeteague,  Cynoscion  notlium,  called  at  Charleston  the  "  Bas- 
tard Trout,"  while  resembling  in  shape  the  two  species  already  described, 
is  easily  distinguished  from  them,  being  of  a  uniform  silvery  hue,  the  back 
being  slightly  darker  than  the  rest  of  the  body. 

One  or  two  individuals  have  been  taken  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  but  it  has 
rarely  been  observed  north  of  South  Carolina,  whence  Holbrook  obtained 
the  specimens  from  which  the  original  description  was  made.  I  have  ob- 
tained one  or  two  individuals  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River, 
Avhere  they  are  not  distinguished  by  the  fishermen  from  the  ' '  Shad  Trout, ' '  or 
Northern  Squeteague.  In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  according  to  Stearns,  it  is 
common  in  company  with  the  Spotted  Scpieteague,  and,  as  far  as  has  been 
observed,  its  habits  are  similar.  It  is,  however,  according  to  Jordan,  less 
abundant,  and  is  not  to  be  found  at  all  seasons.  It  is  most  abundant  in 
September  and  October,  but  no  sjxawning  fish  or  young  have  been  seen. 
The  "  White  Trout,"  as  it  is  called  in  Pensacola,  is  caught  with  hook  and 
line  in  company  with  the  Spotted  Trout. 

On  our  Pacific  coast  there  are   several  species  of  Cynoscion.     The  most 


rrrp.  sq  l  'e  tea  g  ues. 


121 


important  of  these  are   undoubtedly  Cynoscion  iiobilc  and  C.  parripiiiin-. 
Jordan  thus  describes  their  liabits  : 

^"■Cynoscion  nobile  is  everywhere  known  as  the  Sea-bass  and  the  Sea- 
trout,  sometimes  as  '  White  Sea-bass,'  to  distinguish  it  from  the  Bhick 
Sea-bass  or  Jew-fish.  The  young,  while  yet  banded,  are  known  as  *  Sea 
Trout,'  and  generally  considereil  a  distinct  species,  and  both  are  frequently 
called  'Corvina'  and  'C'aravina.' 


*^^^^i^^:^'- 


I    I  ^i I'll  I  ■  '  ■•  M«?»;;i»»»»^re'WlULVn?!^ 


Ji^taiSi 


■Ci&';*."' " '  ^^i*iuiii.;i 


THK  RONCADOR. 


"  It  reaches  a  length  of  four  to  six  feet  and  a  weight  of  fifty  to  seventy- 
five  pounds,  perhaps  more.  Those  usually  seen  in  market  average  al)OUt 
fifteen. 

"•  It  ranges  from  Cape  Mendocino  southward  to  below  San  Diego,  being 
especially  abundant  from  Santa  Barbara  to  Monterey  in  spring  and  summer. 
It  is  not  often  seen  in  winter.  Only  aiUilts  are  taken  in  spring,  and  it 
jirobably  comes  to  the  shore  from  deeper  water  for  the  jnirpose  of  spawning. 
Itgoes  in  small  schools,  and  its  movements  are  irregular.  Its  food  consists 
of  crustaceans  and  fishes.  It  sjiawns  in  June  or  July.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  important  food-fishes  of  the  coast.  Its  Hesh  is  excellent,  firm  and 
well  flavored,  and  its  great  size  renders  it  a  very  valuable  species.  In 
the  firmness  of  its  flesh  it  differs  strikingly  from  most  of  the  other  species 
of  the  genus. 

'•  C\'iioscion parvipinnc ,  is  usually  known  as  the  *  Corvina  '  or  '  Caravina.' 
It  is  also  occasionally  called  Bluefish.  It  reaches  a  length  of  about  two  feet, 
and  a  weight  of  eight  pounds.  It  is  found  from  San  I'edro  southward  to 
the  Clulf  of  California,  rarely  straying  to  the  north.  In  San  Diego  Bay  it 
is  abundant.      It  feeds  on  crustaceans,  and  especially  on  small  fishes,  as 


'1: 


i 


I  22 


AMERJCAN  FISHES. 


anc  lioxics  niid  saivlincs,  and  is  very  voracious.  It  spawns  in  July  or 
August.  Its  tk'sli  is  tender,  being  very  similar  to  that  of  the  weak-fish 
(C.  ;•<;;,■■(//(•).  It  softens  soon,  but,  when  fresh,  is  of  a  fine,  delicate  ([uality, 
and  s(  ilrcely  surpassed  by  any  fish  on  the  coast.  Several  other  sjjecies 
of  this  genus  occur  southward  along  the  Me.\ican  coast,  where  they  are 
among  the  most  important  of  the  food-fishes." 


THE  KINO-FISn.    MEXTIC1RRV3  NF.nCLOSX-S. 

THE  KING  AND  QUEEN  FISHES. 


These  lie  tlie  hills,  fciimih  he)  tlie  siirijes  hie, 

On  whicli  f.iire  Cynthi^iher  he;in.ls  ilotli  feed  ; 

Hor  heartls  he  thmisantl  fishes  witli  their  frie, 

Which  in  the  hosome  of  the  hillowes  breed.  • 

Of  them  the  shcphcard,  which  hath  charge  in  chief, 

Is  Triton,  blowing  loutl  his  wreathed  horn 

At  sonnil  whereof,  they  all,  fir  their  relief. 

Wend  too  and  fro  at  evening  and  at  nKjrnc. 

Si'BNSEH.     Co/in  Clouts  Coiiii' Ilotne  ^\i;ain.     1591. 


'T'HE  Kixo-FISH,  .}rt'nficirnis  nrhif/osiis,  also  known  as  the  "Hake" 
on  the  coast  of  New  Jt-'rs<-'y  and  Delaware,  and  as  the  "  Tom-cod  "  on 
the  coast  of  Connecticut,  the  "Barb"  about  Barnegat,  the  "  Black  Mullet " 
in  the  Chesapeake,  the  "  Sea  Mink  "  in  North  Carolina,  and  sometimes 
also  in  the  South  as  the  "  Whiting,"  ranges  from  Cape  Ann  south  at  least 
as  f;ir  as  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  River,  Fla.,  although  in  the  southern 
part  of  its  range  it  is  frequently  confused  with  the  Whiting.  It  has  been 
obtained  by  Jordan  and  Stearns  at  Pensacola  ;  though  it  is  rare  in  the 
Gulf.  Its  great  gaminess,  its  beauty  of  color  and  form,  and  its  excellent 
flavor,  Mr.  Cheney  assures  us,  causetl  the  loyal  citizens  of  New  York  in 
colonial  days  to  call  this  species  the  "King-fish"  and  in  former  times, 
when  it  was  abundant  in  New  York  bay,  the  King-fish  and  the  small 
striped  bass  were  the  crowning  glory  of  the  old  time  fishing. 

It  is  discussed  as  follows  by  Professor  Baird  : 

"This  species,  well  worthy  of  the  name  which  has  been  given  it,   and 


124 


AMERICAN  J'ISJ[E:1 


the  estimation  in  which  it  is  held  l)y  Xew  Vork  epicures,  as  it  is  certainly 
savory  wlien  taken  frosh  from  the  water,  leaves  nothing;  to  he  desired  in 
the  way  of  a  i'lsh  diet.  It  is  (luite  abundant  off  the  Middle  States,  but  is 
rare  much  to  the  eastward.  A  few  sjiecimens  are  occasionally  taken  in 
Hu/zard's  Bay  and  Vineyard  Sound,  and  Dr.  Storer  mentions  four  as  hav- 
ing,' been  cajjtured  in  Massachusetts  Hay.  It  is  almost  as  capricious  in  its 
occurrence  in  the  more  northern  waters  as  the  Lafayette,  sometimes  being 
scarcely  met  with  for  several  successive  summers,  and  then  suddenly  reap- 
pearing, as  if  migrating  from  more  southern  waters.  At  Heesley's  Point, 
N.  J.,  wiiere  I  have  had  most  opportunity  of  studying  its  habits,  it 
appears  (juite  early  in  the  spring  with  the  scjueteague,  mmX  is  found  a  good 
deal  in  company  with  it,  like  that  fish  seeming  to  jjrefer  a  slight  mixture, 
of  fresh  water,  as  shown  by  its  keeping  in  the  mouths  of  rivers  and  run- 
ning farther  up  during  the  dry  season.  It  takes  bait  readily  and  affords 
excellent  sport  to  the  fishermen,  although  not  caught  in  anything  like  the 
same  number  in  a  given  time  as  the  squeteague,  thirty  or  forty  at  a  single 
tide  being  considered  an  excellent  catch  for  one  boat. 

"  Nothing  has  been  recorded  in  regard  to  the  precise  time  of  their 
spawning  or  the  places  where  they  lay  their  eggs.  The  young  are  met 
with  at  Beesley's  Point  in  immense  numbers  on  the  sandy  bottom  as  well 
as  in  the  surf.  The  smallest  were  about  an  inch  long.  I  have  taken  the 
young  also  in  considerable  number  in  Vineyard  Sound  at  a  time  when  the 
old  fish  were  scarcely  known.  They  occasionally  run  to  a  considerable 
distance  up  the  rivers,  as  I  have  caught  young  fish  of  this  species  at  Sing 
Sing,  on  the  Hudson,  where  the  water  is  scarcely  brackish.  The  King- 
fish  run  much  in  schools,  and  keep  on  or  near  a  hard,  sandy  l)ottom,  i)re- 
ferring  the  edge  of  channels  and  the  vicinity  of  sand  bars  ;  and  they  con- 
gregate about  oyster-beds,  especially  when  the  oysters  are  being  taken  up, 
and  m  .y  be  seen  under  the  boats,  fighting  for  the  worms  and  crustaceans 
dislodged  in  the  operation.  They  bite  readily  at  hard  or  soft  clams,  or 
even  pieces  offish,  and  are  taken  most  successfully  on  the  young  fiooil. 
Like  the  squeteague,  they  wdll  occasionly  run  up  the  salt  creeks  at  night, 
and  may  be  captured  in  gill-nets  as  the  water  recedes.  This,  however,  is 
not  so  common  a  habit  with  them  as  it  is  with  its  associate. 

"  The  price  of  this  fish  varies  at  different  seasons  of  the  year,  but  it  is 
always  well  maintained,  and  it  is  generally  valued  at  nearly  as  high  a  fig- 
ure as  the  Spanish  mackerel.     The  European  analogue  of  this  species,  Uin- 


rirr.  Kfxa  axd  qveex  r/s/n-.s. 


/>riii(i  cirrfhKUt,  is  soinuwliat  similar  in  general  appcaraiK  o.  and  its  (Icsh  is 
hiLjlily  esteemed.  This  feeds  on  small  fislies,  molltisks,  and.  accordiuLj  to 
\'arro\v,  on  sea-weed,  sometimes  attaining  a  weight  of  forty  pounds.  'This 
magnitude  1  have  not  seen  approximateil  !)y  our  species,  although  it  is  pos- 
sible that  it  may  occasionally  reacii  a  large  si/e.  Of  its  distribution 
southward  I  can  find  no  satisfactory  account." 

In  1.S79  numerous  small  individuals  of  this  species  appeared  in  the  har- 
iior  of  I'rovincetown,  Mass.;  they  seemed  however,  to  be  out  of  their 
proper  habitat,  and  many  were  ihilled  by  the  coldness  of  the  water  and 
cast  up  on  the  beach.  In  1S80  and  iSSi,  the  species  is  said  to  have  been 
particidarly  abundant  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey,  and  to  have  afforded 
much  sport  to  anglers  of  that  vicinity,  many  of  whom  had  not  been  famil- 
iar with  it  in  previous  years. 

Mr.  .\.  N.  Cheney  gives  the  following  instructions  for  Kiiig-fish  angling: 

"A  light  rod  and  multiplying  reel,  a  strong  and  very  light  line,  a 
swivel  sinker  and  two  rather  small  hooks  arc  what  is  recjuired  in  the  way 
of  tackle  ;  much  the  same  rig  as  is  used  in  weakfishing.  The  bait  I's  eitiier 
shedder  crab  or  sand-worm.  The  King-fish  is  thoroughly  game  ;  he  seizes 
the  bait  eagerly  and  then  goes  to  the  bottom,  following  up  this  movement 
with  long  runs  from  right  to  left  ;  it  is  really  remarkable  what  a  determined 
resistance  the  little  King-fish  will  make.  In  size  he  varies  from  one  to  six 
l)Ounds,  the  average  being  two  or  three  pounds.  The  time  to  fish  for 
them  is  when  the  tide  is  running  in.  Kingfish  can  be  caught  along  the 
south  side  of  Long  Island,  off  the  Jersey  coast  at  Atlantic  City,  Long 
Branch  and  Barnegat  Inlet,  and  further  south  they  are  very  common." 

The  Whitings,  favorite  food-fishes  of  the  Southern  coast,  embrace  the 
two  species,  Mciiticirnis  aUninius  and  M.  Uttoralis,  both  closely  allied 
in  general  character  to  the  King-fish  of  more  northern  waters.  They  are 
said  to  occur  abundantly  from  Cape  Fear  River,  N.  C,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
in  Texas.  Uhler  and  Lugger  claim  that  they  inhabit  the  salt  water  of 
the  Chesapeake  Bay  and  its  estuaries,  but  it  is  not  probable  that  they  are 
at  all  abundant.  On  the  coast  of  South  Carolina,  according  to  Dr.  Hol- 
brook,  the  Whiting  remains  all  the  year  round,  and  although  few  are 
taken  in  December  and  January,  \-et  they  are  sufficient  to  prove  themselves 
constant  residents.  Near  Charleston  in  the  spring  and  summer  months 
they  are  very  abundant  ;  they  enter  the  mouths  of  bays  and  rivers,  and 
are  captured  in  great  numbers.     They  take  the  hook  readily  ;  their  favor- 


f  \ 


I  26 


AMERICAX  Fisfrr.s. 


itc  bait  is  tho  «lriiin.  and  lieing  strong,  lively  and  a(  tivo  in  hahit,  thov 
alTord  great  sport  to  the  riNJiermen.  'I  iiey  prefor  deep  antl  running  waters, 
and  seldom  approa<h  so  near  the  shore  as  to  be  taken  in  seines.  Their 
urilinury  food  seems  to  consist  of  various  species  of  small  shell-fish. 


Till;  W.MllMi,     MKNTiriltltrH  AI.liniNl'?^, 


Speaking  of  the  "Surf  AVhiting,"  of  Charleston,  Holl)rook  remarks: 
"  This  species  makes  its  ai)pearance  on  tlie  ( oast  of  Carolina  in  the  month 
of  Ai)ril,  and  continues  with  us  during  the  entire  summer,  though  very  few 
are  taken  in  Jidy  or  August.  It  is  only  found  in  shallow  water  where  the 
bottom  is  hard  and  sandy,  often  forming,  when  the  tide  is  out,  an  exten- 
sive beach.  Its  favorite  resort  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  shore  where 
the  surf  can  roll  over  it  from  the  ocean  and  l)ring  with  it  doubtless  the 
animals  on  which  it  feeds.  In  such  localities  many  are  captured  with  the 
seine  and  are  sold  in  the  market  under  the  name  '  Surf  Whiting,'  in  con- 
tradistinction to  the  other  species  which  is  called  the  '  Deep-water  Whiting.' 
Its  food  seems  to  be  similar  to  that  of  the  Deep-water  Whiting,  judging 
from  the  contents  of  its  stomach,  and  yet  it  is  seldom  taken  with  the  hook. 
Hitherto  I  have  only  seen  this  fish  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
Charleston.  This  fish  is  very  commonly  supposed  to  be  the  adult  male  of 
the  common  Whiting,  approaching  the  shoal  water  to  deposit  its  spawn, 
I  believed  it,  from  common  rej)ort,  to  be  such,  until  frecjuent  dissections 
proved  to  me  that  there  are  both  males  and  females  among  them.  The 
flesh  of  this  species  is  good,  but  by  no  means  so  finely  flavored  as  that  of 
the  Deep-water  Whiting." 

At  Mayport,  Fla.,  the  Whiting  is  abundant,  and  also  at  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  John's.  The  largest  observed  by  me  measured  ten  inches,  and  in 
the  first  week  of  April  was  within  two  or  three  weeks  of  spawning.     A  few 


THE  KlXCr  AXD  QCEEX  F/S/fES. 


;iiv  taken  in  tlu'  St.  John's  as  high  u|i  as  Arlington.  Tlicy  arc  abundant 
in  tiic  Indian  River.  Ahout  New  Smyrna.  I'la.,  according  to  Mr.  S.  C. 
Clarke.  It  is  (ailed  '-Whiting."  "  Kingfish."  "  I'.arl.  "  and  ••  I'.iiU  head 
A\'hiting."  'I'hey  o(  (  ur  in  the  winter  and  spring,  thotigli  ^i.ldoin  in  sinn- 
mer.  'l"hc  largest  rea(  hed  the  weight  ut"  one  ami  a  half  pounds.  'I'hey 
average  three-nuarteis  of  a   |iound.   the   female   being  usually   the   larger. 

They  ai)|)ear  about  the  la-^t  of  Noxember.  and  spend  the  winter  in 
bays  and  still  rivers.  'I'hey  bite  in  strong  currents,  not  in  shn  k  water. 
'I'hev  ])refer  deep  channels  and  sandy  bottoms,  'i'hey  are  found  in  the 
deepest  water  and  prefer  (old  water.  'Iheir  food  consists  of  (  rabs.  shrimps, 
and  small  crustaceans,  and  they  feed  at  the  bottom.  Half-grown  to  tnll- 
grown  fish  contain  spawn.  They  epawn  in  the  sea  in  May.  They  art.' 
taken  with  a  hook  by  the  use  of  mullet  or  clam  bait  at  halftidi'. 
They  bite  best  in  a  strong  current  in  winter  and  spring  and  fifteen  or  twenty 
mav  be  taken  in  one  tide.  In  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  according  to  Stearns. 
they  arc  abundant  from  Key  West  to  the  Rio  Grande,  and  are  known  as 
the  "Whiting."  though  at  I'ensacola  the  name  ''Ground  Mullet  "  is  in 
use.      He  writes : 

"There  are  two  varieties,  which,  if  they  have  no  specific  differences, 
have  at  least,  different  habits.  One  variety  lives  exclusively  in  \ery  shoal 
water  along  the  sandy  beaches,  appearing  to  take  pleasure  from  the  acti(jn 
of  the  surf,  and  swimming  in  small  schools.  The  other  inhabits  deeper 
waters  ;  is  foun(^l  singly,  and  is  of  much  darker  coloring.  The  former  sel- 
dom leaves  the  sea-water,  while  the  latter  are  often  found  in  brackish  and 
fresh  water.  I  have  found  ripe  spawn  in  the  surf  variety  in  April,  and  be- 
lieve they  deposit  it  on  the  sea-beach.  Large  specimens  of  the  dark  variety 
were  taken  in  September,  1879,  in  the  Apalachicola  River,  where  the 
water  is  fresh.      The  Whiting  is  an  excellent  food-fish." 

The  two  varieties  thus  referred  to  by  Stearns  have  been  identified  by 
Jordan  as  the  two  species  J/,  albunius  and  J/.  Uttoralis,  the  latter  being 
the  surf-loving  species  first  mentioned. 

The  Whiting  is  a  delicious  pan-fish,  sweet  and  hard,  though  soon  losing 
its  delicate  flavor.  In  Charleston  it  is  regarded  as  a  great  dainty.  A(  - 
cording  to  Colonel  Lyman,  when  Charleston  was  closely  blockaded  and 
fishing  was  a  hazardous  occupation,  the  commandant  of  the  garrison,  who 
was  a  hon  vivanf,  gave  $100  in  Confederate  money  for  a  string  of  Whiting. 

Some  of  the  early  writers  called  this  fish  the  "  Bermuda  Whiting,"  for 


128 


AMERICAN  FISHES, 


what  reason  it  is  difficult  to  understand,  for  the  Whiting  of  Bermuda  at  the 
present  day  is  a  fish  very  unlike  that  of  our  Southern  coast. 

The  "  Surf  Whiting,"  according  to  Jordan,  is  not  rare  at  Charleston, 
and  in  the  (julf  of  Mexico  is  as  common  as  the  other  species,  but  is  chiefly 
found  in  the  surf,  and  hence  is  less  frecpiently  brought  into  the  markets. 

Speaking  of  the  game  (jualities  of  the  two  species,  S.  C.  Clarke  writes 
that  they  bite  much  like  the  trout,  seizing  the  bait  »vith  a  rush — that  tliey 
are  strong  and  active,  and  make  a  good  fight  for  their  size.  He  recom- 
mends a  trout  bait  rod,  fine  line,  reel,  and  two  small  hooks.  For  bait  he 
uses  cut  mullet  and  fishes  on  or  near  the  bottom  of  a  sandy  strong-tided 
channel,  at  half  tide. 

The  Bagre,  Mcnticirnis  uiidiilatiis,  is  an  allied  form,  member  of  our 
Pacific  family.  It  reaches  a  length  of  twenty  inches,  and  a  weight  of  four 
or  five  pounds.  It  is  found  close  to  shore  from  Point  Concei)tion  south- 
ward to  Cerros  Island,  and  is  generally  abundant.  It  feeds  on  Crustacea, 
spawns  in  July,  and  is  a  food-fish  of  fair  quality.  In  appearance  and  in 
value  it  a])proaches  closely  to  the  Surf  Whiting  of  the  Atlantic,  M.  lit- 
toraliis. 

The  Queen-fish,  Scriphus  po/i/its,  is  also  known  as  "King-fish"  in 
California.  It  reaches,  says  Jordan,  a  length  of  eight  inches,  and  a  weight 
of  half  a  pound.  It  ranges  from  Tomales  Bay  southward,  and  is  abundant 
in  summer,  when  it  is  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  surf  along  sandy 
shores.  Enormous  numbers  of  them  are  sometimes  taken  in  seines, 
especially  at  Santa  Barbara  and  Soquel.  It  is  not  often  brought  into  the 
San  Francisco  market.  It  feeds  on  small  fishes  and  crustaceans.  It 
spawns  in  summer.  It  is  a  food-fish  of  excellent  quality,  but  is  too  small  to 
possess  much  economic  value. 


i 


Tiir;  SPOT  nil  T.  vrAYi:TTi;. 


SPOTS.  CROAKERS  AXD  RONCADORS 


Man's  lif.!  is  wrirm,  gl.ul,  sad,  'twixt  Invos  ami  i;ravos, 
rumiullcss  ill  hiipe,  humiurcil  witli  lian,;j;s  austere. 
Heaven  gazin;^  ;  ami  liis  aii.uel  winus  ho  craves  ; 
The  lish  is  swift,  small-needing,  va;;ne  yet  clear, 
A  ci'Kl,  sueet,  silver  life,  wrapt  ill  rmnul  .vaves, 
(Juickened  with  tuuchcs  of  trans]iortiii4  fear. 

Liacii  Hint,  The  Flsii,  The  M,iii  muf  the  S/'it\'t. 

'~r*HE  Si'OT,  or  Lafayette,  J.iosfoniits  xaiitluinis,  is  found  aloni,^  our 
coast  from  New  York  to  the  Oulf  of  Mexico,  and  is  known  in  New 
\'ork  and  elsewhere  as  tlie  "Spot,"  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  as  the 
•■  (loody  "  and  sometimes  as  the  "  Ca|)e  May  Croody,"  in  the  Chesapeake 
region  also  as  the  "  Spot"  and  the  "  Roach."  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  as  the 
'•  C'hul),"  in  the  St.  John's  River,  Ma.,  as  the  "}*[asooka" — this  name 
being  probably  a  corruption  of  a  Portuguese  name,  "Bezuga" — and  at 
I'ensacola  as  the  "  Spot  "  and  '•  Choiui  blanca."  The  name  "Lafayette  " 
is  used  for  this  fish  in  New  York  even  to  the  present  day.  This  name  was 
given  it  by  the  New  York  fishermen  in  consetiuence  of  its  reappearance  in 
large  numbers  in  that  region  having  been  coincident  with  the  arrival  of 
Lafayette  in  this  country  in  1S34.  It  had  been  known  before  that  time, 
but  only  in  scattering  numbers. 

Although  they  sometimes  enter  the  large  rivers  of  the  South,  such  as 


ii 


\ 


130 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


the  St.  John's,  which  they  ascend  as  far  as  Jacksonville,  Gunther  is  by 
no  means  justified  in  his  statement  that  this  is  "a  fresh-water  fish  inhabit- 
ing the  rivers  of  North  America." 

Like  the  otlier  bottom-feeding  members  of  this  family,  their  food  con- 
sists chiefly  of  the  smaller  molhisks  and  crustaceans.  Little  is  known 
about  their  breeding  habits  in  the  North.  Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke  states  that  at 
New  Smyrna,  IHa. ,  they  breed  in  the  bays  and  inlets  in  November  and 
December,  while  Stearns  remarks  that  they  si)awn  in  the  lower  bays  and 
inlets  about  Pensacola  late  in  the  fall,  while  the  young  of  all  sizes  are  very 
abundant  in  the  spring. 

Concerning  this  species  Prof.  Baird  writes  : 

"  Of  the  smaller  ])an-fish  of  our  coast,  in  excellence  of  flavor  none  is 
considered  su])erior  to  that  known  as  the  '  Lafayette.'  Its  precise  eastern 
range  is  not  well  ascertained,  although  it  is  occasionally  taken  in  great 
numbers  off  Long  Island  and  the  coast  of  New  Jersey.  It  is  most  plenti- 
ful off  the  coast  of  Virginia. 

"According  to  Dr.  Holbrook,  it  is  not  much  esteemed  for  food  at 
Charleston,  owing  to  a  want  of  flavor.  In  the  case  of  this  species,  as  in 
many  others,  it  is  probable  that  the  colder  waters  of  the  North  impart  a 
superior  flavor  and  excellence  to  the  flesh.  This  is  well  known  to  be  the 
case  with  the  sheepshead,  as  well  as  many  other  species. 

"At  Beesley's  Point,  N.  J.,  where  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
studying  its  habits,  it  makes  its  appearance  in  large  numbers  in  August, 
the  first  school  being  composed  of  small  fish,  large  ones  following  them. 
A  short  time  later  they  ascend  the  creeks  in  great  numbers  and  are  taken 
there  in  company  with  the  white  perch.  Their  usual  size  in  New  Jersey 
is  about  six  inches,  although  occasionally  measuring  ten  inches.  They  do 
not  make  their  appearance  in  the  New  York  markets  in  any  abundance 
until  towards  the  ist  of  September,  and  remain  until  the  end  of  October, 
when  they  disapj^ear.  I  did  not  succeed  in  finding  any  very  young  fish, 
and  am  unable  to  state  whether  they  actually  spawn  on  the  New  Jersey 
coast,  or  whether  the  supply  found  there  and  further  north  consists  of  a 
'  run  '  from  the  more  southern  waters  of  fish  migrating  northward,  perhaps 
to  escape  the  increased  heat  of  the  southern  coast." 

Mr.  L.  O.  Van  Doren  in  the  Amcriaxn  Angler,  gives  an  account  of  its 
merits  as  a  game  and  food  fish. 

"It  swarms  on  the  eastern  coast  during  the  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
and  is  caught  even  in  September. 


SPOTS,    CROAKERS  AXD  RONCADORS. 


"In  tlie  Harlem  and  I^last  Rivrrs  and  in  T-oni;  Island  Sotnid,  wiinv  I 
have  caught  them,  they  run  very  small  indeed,  and  it  re(iuire.s  great 
])atience  and  small  hooks  to  take  them  in.  'I'hey  kee])  up  a  constant 
nibbling,  and  the  angler  is  so  busy  ])ulling  his  line  upevery  minute  or  two 
that  he  wishes  he  had  not  fallen  in  with  the  silvery  pests. 

"  I-ike  the  bergall  the  .Sjint  bites  at  the  hook  with  a  sly  tentati\e 
nibble  and  imme<liately  darts  awa\',  as  is  proved  bv  their  being  frecpientlv 
hooked  in  the  bark,  sides  or  tail.  ISut  there  is  this  dilTerenc  e  between 
cunners  and  Lafayettes  ;  the  latter  are  good  to  eat  and  the  former  are 
worthless.  I  know  of  no  daintier  morsel  liian  a  big,  fresh  Lafavette. 
nicely  fried  and  ser\ed  hot.  They  are  the  most  tasteful  of  all  the  salt  water 
jjan-fish  with  the  excejition  of  the  Stonington  eel. 

"  Few  would  care  to  gt)  out  especially  for  Spot.-^.  but  if  \du  do  ha\e  a  lot 
of  fine,  sharp  hooks,  put  four  on  your  line  abo\e  a  light  sinker,  bait  with 
small  ])ieces  of  clam  or  saddworm,  and  fish  on  the  first  of  the  llood  or  at 
dead  high  water  in  about  fourteen  feet.  It  is  great  fiui  to  take  them  with 
a  very  light  rod.  They  can  be  caught  in  great  numbers  at  Rockaway, 
Cape  May,  Atlantic  City,  in  fact,  everywhere  on  the  coast." 

The  Spot  is  abundant  at  Mayport,  l-'la.,  in  spring  and  summer.  In  the 
(lulf  of  Mexico,  according  to  Stearns,  it  is  present  in  the  bays  all  the 
year,  living  in  shoal  water,  feeding  upon  the  bottom  tipon  the  small  in\er- 
tebrate  animals,  and  taken  Mith  hook  and  line  and  seine.  It  is  extremely 
abundant,  and  is  considered  a  good  food  fish.* 

There  is  a  rare  sjiecies,  allieil  to  the  S])ot,  recorded  from  Charleston. 
S.  C,  and  St.  Ceorge's  Island,  Tex.,  known  by  naturalists  imder  the  name 
Stcllifcrus  laiiccolatus.  It  is  found  in  deep  water,  and  is  not  sufficiently 
abundant  to  have  acquired  a  common  name. 

The  Yellow  Tail,  BainiicUa  chrysura,  known  as  "  Silver  Terch  "  on  the 


<■  How  TO  FuY  1-AN-risH  — "  To  fry  is  to  bnil  in  fat,  therefore  the  fit  must  l>oil,  and  it  nuisl  cover  uliatover 
you  wish  to  fry.  Wlu'ii  fit  lioils  it  is  cuiite  stiU,  leaves  oil"  moving;  or  Imhlilinu'.  ami  a  thin  blue  smoke  or 
vapor  rises  from  it.  I'at  can  be  kept  for  a  loni;  time  to  fry  in  ;  it  shoiikl  be  straineil  after  using,  anJ  it  can 
be  clarified  often,  provi(led  it  is  not  allowed  to  burn."— (lM)n  il  ('i..ahki;.) 

After  being  cleaned  and  wiped  i)erfectly  dry,  lish  for  frying  should  be  rnbhed  over  with  flour,  oi  dipped 
once  or  twice  into  egg  and  bread  irunibs,  or  passed  through  a  regularly-niade  batter.  Fry  it  in  plenty  of 
very  hot  oil  or  fritiirc  ;  drain  il  thoroughly  from  grease;  sprinkle  fuie  salt  upon  it,  and  serve  it  upon  a 
damask  napkin  filded  in  a  dish  tastefidly  garnished  ;  serve  a  sauce  apart.  Chopped  onions  are  generally 
fried  and  served  with  fresh  herrings.  If  a  sulVicieut  (|uantity  of  fat  he  employed,  a  good  thick  fish  will  not 
need  more  than  tern  minutes's  frying  ;  smelts  and  suih-like  small  tish  are  done  in  five  minutes,  or  even  less. 
I'inely-shrcd  herbs  may  be  sprinkled  over  some  sorts  of  fish,  such  as  eels  or  mackerel,  previously  to  frying 
them,  but  soles,  or  in  short  flatfish  generally,  should  be  only  done  with  bread  crumbs  and  egg,  so  as  to  send 
them  to  table  looking  of  a  clear  golden  yellow." — 1(  Ii-iiiiciANA^  Hill.) 

To  fry  fish  in  the  Virginia  style  :—"  Choose  miihlle-si.'ed  fish;  cle.in  them,  scale  and  wash  them:  then 
with  a  very  sharp  iicnknife  score  them  on  the  sides,  hut  not  very  deep  nor  very  close  ;  dredge  them  with 
flour;  then  fry  them  in  oiled  butter.  When  they  are  well  done  and  brown  serve  them  up  garnished  with  fried 
parsley,  and  send  np  with  them  plain  melted  butter.  This  give;  the  fish  its  true  ll.ivor,  and  many,  fur  tlr.it 
reason,  prefer  it  to  any  other  way  of  dressing."— (Mrs.  Smiih.) 

To  fry  fish  in  the  angler's  style  : — "  Never  put  your  fish  in  the  pan  till  the  fit  is  boiling  hot .  .Mways  cut 
your  pork  small,  and  don't  try  it  out  irotherwise  cook  it  too  fist,  as  it  will  lo^e  much  of  Its  sweetness.  Score 
the  fish  and  roH  tliem  in  flour  bef  ire  hiying  them  in  the  sparkling  fat.  In  using  lard,  a  table-spoonful  of  salt 
to  a  pound  is  a  fair  average." — ^GiiNio  C.  Scott.) 


13- 


AMERICAN   FISHES. 


coast  of  New  Jersey,  is  quite  an  important  fond  fish  in  the  Southern  States. 
But  little  has  been  written  regarding  it,  antl  its  excellent  qualities  are  not 
yet  thoroughly  appreciated.  In  fact,  it  has  been  confused  with  other 
species  by  both  Holbrook  and  Gunther.  This  fish  has  not  been  observed 
north  of  New  York,  where  it  was  recorded  by  Mitchill  and  DeKav,  the 
latter  of  whom  stated  that  it  was  no'   uncommon  in  the  summer  season. 

Prof.  Biiird  found  the  young  very  abundant  about  Beeslcy's  Point 
in  1S34,  though  the  adults  were  unknown  to  the  fishermen.  Uhler  and 
Lugger,  who,  following  the  niistaken  nomenclature  of  Holbrook,  confused 
this  with  a  species  of  Z.ui/r)w«j,  say  it  is  common  in  the  Chesapeake  and 
Lower  Potomac.  It  is  also  abundant  about  Beaufort,  N.  C,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  Charleston. 


THE  TELLOW-TAIL. 

According  to  ni.iny  observers,  Yellow-tails  are  highly  esteemed  for 
food  at  St.  Simon's  Island,  New  Brunswick,  Ga.,  and  in  the  Lower 
St.  John's  River.  They  probably  never  ascend  the  river  much  above 
Jacksonville,  though  in  1877  great  quantities  were  taken,  in  the  month  of 
April,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arlington  River.  In  1878  the  water  was  so 
fresh  at  this  point  that  none  could  be  taken  there,  though  I  saw  them  at 
Yellow  BlulTs  in  water  not  perceptibly  brackish  to  the  taste.  A  large 
majority  of  those  observed  at  INIayport  on  April  7,  1875,  were  full  grown 
and  taken  at  the  point  of  spawning.     Others  taken  by  fishermen  at  May- 


1 

i 


SPOTS,    CROAKERS  AXD  ROXCADORS. 


port,  -April,  15,  1S7S,  had  the  spawn  runniny  free  from  them.      The  largest 
iidiilt  did  not  exceed  eight  inc  lies  in  length. 

On  the  Florida  coast  of  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  according  to  Stearns,  they 
are  very  common.  They  wer'j  found  bv  Jordan  to  be  very  abundant 
along  the  shores  of  Louisiana  and  Texas.  At  l'ensacf)la  tliev  are  known 
bv  tlie  name  "  Mademoiselle."  Thev  are  jiresent  throughout  tlie  year, 
but  most  plenty  from  May  until  November,  and  are  found  in  companv  with 
the  trout  and  the  S])ot  on  the  grassv  shoals  of  the  bavs  where  tlu'y  {kiki^X 
and  spawn.  The  time  for  spawning  is  in  June  and  July.  The)-  feed 
chieilv  n]ion  small  fishes  and  shrim])s.  Thev  (\o  not  school,  luit  swim 
singlv  or  in  ])airs.  Their  extreme  length  does  not  exceed  ten  or  ele\en 
inches,  the  average  being  al)out  eight.  They  are  regarded  as  e.xcellent 
l)an-l"ish. 


Tin-;  ciiOAK!:n. 

The  Croaker,  2fiiropog(Vi  iiiii^u/a/tis,  ranges  from  Xew  Xox'k  at  least  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  although  rarely  seen  north  of  Delaware.  It  t)ccurs 
also  in  some  of  the  West  Indian  islands  and  soudi  of  15razil.  Its  name 
refers  to  the  peculiar  grunting  stnmd  whi(  h  it  utters,  but  in  the  Chesa- 
ijeake  this  name  has  been  corruptetl  into  *•  Crocus."      In  Texas  it  is  (  ailed 

•'Ronco." 

At  lleaufort,  X.  C,  acciM-ding  to  Jordan,  it  is  very  abundant,  and,  next 
to  the  mullet  and  the  Sjiot,  is  the  most  common  food-fish  of  the  region. 
Holbrook  states  that  the  C^-oaker  makes  its  appearance  off  Charlest()n  in 
the  month  of  May,  but  becomes  common  in  shall- w  water  in  June  and 
July,  and  is  most  abundant    and    attains   its    largest  size   in   October  and 


I 


134 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


November.     It  is  not  much  esteemed  as  food,  and  is  only  used  as  a  pan- 
fish. 

It  is  abundant  and  highly  esteemed  at  Brunswick,  Ga.,  and  everywhere 
in  Eastern  Florida,  in  company  with  the  Spot,  ascending  the  St.  John's  as 
far  as  Jacksonville. 

Stearns  writes:  "  In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  it  is  very  common.  Is  found 
everywhere  in  the  bays  and  bayous  throughout  the  year.  Lives  mostly  in 
shoal  water  or  grassy  bottoms.  Feeds  upon  crustaceous  animals.  Breeds 
in  the  bays  in  November  and  December.  The  young  are  seen  in  the 
spring,  having  grown  to  a  size  of  two  or  three  inches  in  length.  Is  caught 
with  hook  and  line  and  seine.  It  sells  with  other  pan-fish  for  a  low  price. 
It  is  an  excellent  food-fish  ;  average  length  ten  inches.  At  Sarasota  Bay. 
December  8,  1879, 1  caught  two  specimens  of  spawning  croakers  that  were 
each  fully  eighteen  inches  long — the  largest  that  I  have  ever  seen." 

An  allied  species  is  Lan'iniis  fasciatits,  which  is  called  "Chub"  in 
Charleston. 

Prof.  Jordan  supplies  the  following  notes  upon  allied  species  native  to 
the  Pacific  waters  : 

Cortina  satit ma,  is  known  wherever  found  as  the  "  Red  Roncador,"  less 
commonly  as  "  Black  Roncador  "  or  "  Croaker."  It  reaches  a  length  of 
sixteen  inches  and  a  weight  of  three  or  fcur  pounds.  It  is  found  from 
Point  Conception  southward  in  moderate  abundance.  It  feeds  largely  on 
crustaceans  and  spawns  in  July.      It  is  a  food-fish  of  good  quality. 

Roncador  Stcarnsi,  is  generally  known  as  the  "Roncador"  or  the 
snorer,  from  the  Spanish  roncar,  to  snore.  It  makes  a  very  distinct  grunt- 
ing noise,  probably  with  its  air-bladder,  on  being  taken  from  the  water. 
It  reaches  a  length  of  over  two  feet,  and  a  weight  of  six  to  eight  pounds. 
It  is  found  from  Santa  Barbara  southward,  usually  in  abundance.  It  feeds 
on  Crustacea  and  spawns  in  July.  It  is  a  food-fish  of  excellent  quality.  It 
is  named  in  honor  of  that  eminent  naturalist.  Prof.  R.  E.  C.  Stearns,  so 
long  identified  with  the  scientific  interests  of  the  Pacific  coast. 

Genyonemiis  lincatus,  is  known  about  San  Francisco  as  the  Little  Bass. 
Southward  it  is  called  the  Little  Roncador.  The  name  "  Cognard,"  said 
by  Dr.  Ayers  to  be  given  to  it  in  San  Francisco,  is  unknown  to  us.  It 
reaches  a  weight  of  little  over  a  pound,  and  a  length  of  a  foot ;  it  is  found 
from  Tomales  to  San  Diego,  being  most  abundant  from  Santa  Barbara  to 
San  Francisco.     It  often  comes  into  the  markets  in  large  numbers ;  it 


SPOTS,   CROAKERS  AXD  RONCADORS. 


135 


feeds  chiefly  on  crustacca  and  spawns  in  July.  It  is  a  food-fish  of  good 
quality  when  fresh,  but  its  flesh  becomes  soft  in  the  market  sooner  than 
that  of  most  species.      Many  are  dried  by  the  Chinese. 

Umhrina  roncador,  generally  known  as  the  "  Yellow-tailed  "  or  ''Yel- 
low-finned Roncador."  It  reaches  a  length  of  more  than  a  foot,  and  a 
weight  of  two  or  three  pounds.  It  is  found  from  Santa  Barbara  southward, 
and  is  generally  abundant,  especially  in  summer.  It  feeds  on  Crustacea 
and  spawns  in  July.  It  is  a  food-fish  of  good  quality.  Many  are  split 
and  salted. 


i 


r 


THE  SEA  DRUM.  (Young.) 


SEA  DRUM  AND  LAKE  DRUM. 


I 'is  drumming  lic.irt  cliecrs  up  his  burning  eye. 

Shakespeare,  Ra/>e  of  Lucrccc. 


"^EXT  to  the  s\vord-fi,sh,  tunny,  jcw-fisli,  and  lialibut,  the  Drum  is 
perhaps  the  largest  of  the  food-fishes  of  our  coast.  It  is  most  r:nm- 
dant  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  in  the  Southern  Atlantic  States,  thou"-h 
nearly  every  summer  a  few  specimens  aiipear  on  the  south  coast  of  New- 
England.  In  one  or  two  instances  individuals  have  been  observed  a's  far 
north  as  Provincetown,  Mass.  In  the  Gulf  it  is  common  everywhere, 
even  to  the  southern  l)oundary  of  Texas  ;  liow  much  further  south  it  goes 
there  is  at  pre.sent  no  means  of  determining.  Ichthyologists  formerly  sup- 
posed that  there  were  two  species,  one  of  whicli,  of  small  size  and  con- 
spicuously banded  with  brown  and  white,  was  called  the  "  Banded  Drum," 
P.  fasciatus,  or  "Little  Drum."  This  is  now  well-known  to  be  the 
young  of  the  7'.  cliromis.  It  seems  curious  that  the  changes  of  color  in 
relation  to  age,  althougli  known  to  Cuvier  forty  years  ago,  should  liave 
been  overlooked  by  American  naturalists,  and  that  the  species /^./t?jv/<7///j 
should  have  stood  as  valid  until  1S73. 

The  name  "  Drum,"  as  everyone  knows,  alludes  to  the  loud  drumming 


SEA  DRUM  AX D  LAKE  DRU.V. 


13: 


noise  which  is  heard,  cs])C(ially  in  the  lireeding  season,  and  is  doubtless 
the  signal  by  which  the  fish  call  to  their  mates.  This  habit  of  drummini,' 
is  shared  by  many  fishes  of  tliis  family,  but  appears  to  be  most  highly  de- 
veloped in  the  Drum,  and  in  a  European  species  known  as  the  Maigre, 
Sciccna  acjuila.  M.  Dufosse  has  investigated,  very  thoroughly,  the  physio- 
logical causes  of  these  sounds,  which  appear  to  depend  largely  u])on  the 
action  of  the  air-bladder. 

The  northern  limit  of  the  s])ecies  ajipears  to  be  (L-fincd  by  Cape  Cod. 
In  1S73,  Mr.  James  H.  lUake  ca])tured  one  at  I'rovincetown.  Another, 
of  twenty-five  pounds'  weight,  was  secured  by  Vinal  lldwards  for  the  Fisli 
Commission  from  Rogers's  pound,  Quisset,  Mass.,  July.  1S74  ;  another 
large  individual,  of  sixty  i)ounds'  weight,  was  taken  near  Noank,  Conn.. 
July  10,  1S74,  the  third  instance  of  its  capture  known  to  the  fishermen  of 
that  vicinity. 

Schoepf,  writing  about  the  year  17S6,  says  that  they  were  at  that  time 
very  rare  about  New  York,  though  he  had  occasionally  seen  them  at  the 
city  market,  where  they  met  with  sale,  though  their  fiesh  was  none  of  the 
hardest. 

The  Drums  caj^tured  north  of  Sandy  Ib)ok  have  been,  so  far  as  I  (an 
learn,  large  adult  fish.  Prof.  Baird  fi)und  the  young  fish  of  this  species  very 
abundant  in  August  in  the  small  bays  along  the  shores  of  Ueesley's  Point. 
N.  J.,  though  few  were  seen  in  the  rivers.  Its  southern  limit  is  some- 
where in  the  Culf  f)f  Mexico,  but  has  not  been  accurately  ascertained. 

The  voung  are  very  dissimilar  to  the  adult  fish,  though  the  fishermen  in 
Florida  and  elsewhere  recognize  the  actual  relations.  In  this  respect  they 
are  more  discriminating  than  the  ichthyologist  Holbrook,  who  described 
them  as  distinct  species.  The  adult  is  known  as  the  "  Black  Drum,"  the 
young  as  the  "Striped  Drum."  In  addition  to  the  marked  differences  in 
color,  the  young  has  a  much  more  shaj^ely  body  than  the  adult,  mu(  h 
higher  in  proportion  to  its  length.  The  full-grown  fish  sometimes  weigh 
eighty  i)ounds,  though  the  average  is  perhaps  not  more  than  one-quarter 
as  large.  They  are  sluggish  swimmers,  and  are  especially  adapted  to  life 
on  tlie  bottom,  where  their  long,  sensitive  barbels  aid  them  in  their  search 
for  buried  treasures  of  food.  They  feed  upon  all  bottom-dwelling  inver- 
tebrates. Their  teeth  are  extremely  heavy  and  pavement-like  ;  their  jaws 
are  provided  with  very  jiowerful  muscles,  by  means  of  which  they  can  crush 
with  great  ease  the  shells  of  the  most  strongly  ]irotected  invertebrates. 


i 


IVS 


A.]rER/CAX  FISnES. 


It  is  claimt'd  by  oystcr-plantL-rs  that  the  Drum  is  very  dt'striictive  to  the 
oyster-beds.  Mr.  Stearns  writes  :  "  Oysters  are  their  favorite  food  on  the 
( iiilf  coast,  an<l  they  destroyed  a  great  many  at  Apalachicola,  St.  Andrews, 
Mol)ile,  and  Clalveston  Bays.  The  Mobile  oyster-planters  attribute  the 
bulk  of  their  losses  to  Drums.  At  Pensacola  I  have  known  a  ])oatdoad  of 
oysters,  fifty  barrels,  that  were  thrown  overboard  to  be  preserveil,  to  be 
entirely  consumed  in  eight  or  ten  days  by  them,  leaving  but  a  heap  of 
broken  shells." 

While  it  is  probable  that  the  Drum  feeds  upon  oysters  as  well  as  upon 
crabs  or  shrimps,  it  is  jirobablc  that  the  extent  of  their  destructivcness  has 
been  somewhat  exaggerated  ;  for  instance,  it  was  claimed  a  few  years  ago 
that  oysters  in  New  York  Bay  to  the  value  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
ilollars  were  destroyed  by  Drums.  This  seems  quite  imlikely,  since  the 
Drum  is  by  no  means  a  common  fish  so  far  north  as  New  York. 

Concerning  its  relation  to  the  oyster-culturist,  I  cannot  do  better  than 
to  quote  the  words  of  Mr.  Ernest  IngersoU  : 

"  Knowing  the  carnivorous  propensity  of  the  fish,  one  can  easily  imagine 
how  an  inroad  of  such  a  host  must  affect  an  oyster-ground.  They  do  not 
seem  to  make  any  trouble,  however,  north  of  New  York  City,  and  rarely 
along  the  south  side  of  Long  Island.  At  Staten  Island  and  Keyport  they 
come  in  every  few  years  and  devastate  thousantls  of  dollars  worth  of 
property.  Such  a  memorable  visitation  happened  about  1850,  in  July. 
The  following  summer  the  planters  in  Prince's  Bay,  fearing  a  rej)etition  of 
the  onslaught,  anchored  shingles  and  pieces  of  waste  tin  on  their  beds, 
scattering  them  at  short  intervals,  in  the  hope  that  their  dancing,  glitter- 
ing surfaces  might  act  as  '  scare-crows  '  to  frighten  the  fish  away.  Whether 
as  an  effect  of  this,  or  because  of  a  general  absence,  no  more  Drums  ap- 
]ieared.  In  New  York  Bay,  off  Caven  Point,  where  the  old  '  Black  Tom 
Reef  is  now  converted  into  an  island,  one  planter  of  Keyport  lost  his 
whole  summer's  work — material  and  labor — in  a  single  September  week, 
through  an  attack  by  Drums.  A  City  Island  j^lanter  reported  to  me  a  loss 
of  $10,000  in  one  season  a  few  years  ago  ;  but  the  East  River  is  about  the 
northern  limit  of  the  Drums,  at  least  as  a  nuisance  to  oyster-culture,  so  far 
as  I  can  learn.  The  vexation  of  it  is,  too,  that  the  Drum  does  not  seem 
to  eat  half  of  what  he  destroys;  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  great  school  of 
them  will  go  over  a  bed,  wantonly  crushing  hundreds  of  oysters  and  drop- 
ping them  untasted,  but  in  fragments,  on  the  bottom." 

The  size  of  the  schools  in  which  they  go  is  shown  by  the  following 
records  from  contemporary  newspapers:  ''On  Monday  last,  John  Earlc 
and  sons  caught,  at  one  draught,  in  Bristol  Ferry,  719   Drum-fish,  weigh- 


SEA  DR[\]r  AXn  LAKE  DRU.V. 


139 


ing  upwards  of  fifty  pounds  each."  Nilcs'  Wci'kly  /ii'i:;isfrr,  J"ly,  1^,5,5, 
also  says  :  "  Sonic  days  ago  a  haul  was  made  in  (Ircat  Mgg  Harbor  Hay. 
near  Ik-esley's  Point,  Cape  May,  at  which  218  Drum-fish  was  caught,  their 
entire  weight  being  from  8,000  to  9,000  pounds.  This  is  said  to  be  the 
largest  haul  of  that  description  offish  ever  made  in  that  bay." 

Another  still  larger,  noticed  as  a  great  haul  of  Dnmi-fish  :  "On  Wed- 
nesday, June  5,  1804,"  says  the  i)Ostmaster  of  Oyster  Ponds,  Long  L;- 
land,  "  one  seine  drew  on  shore  at  this  place  at  a  single  haul  12,250  fish, 
the  average  weight  of  which  was  found  to  be  thirty-three  poun<l:;,  ip.aking 
in  the  aggregate  202  tons  250  jjounds.  This  undoubtedly  is  the  greatest 
haul  of  this  kind  ever  known  in  this  country.  A  hundred  witnesses  are 
ready  to  attest  the  truth  of  the  abov  ;  statement.  They  are  used  for  ma- 
nure."     (The  fish,  I  supiiosc,  and  not  the  witnesses,  remat-ked  Ingersoll.) 

Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke  has  made  some  interesting  communications  regarding 
their  breeding  habits.  The  male  he  informs  us,  is  the  larger,  and  is  more 
brightly  colored,  particularly  at  the  breeding  season.  The  male  drums 
very  loud,  the  female  in  a  softer  tone.  Fish  imiler  twenty  pounds  in 
weight  do  not  breed.  About  the  Halifax  Inlet,  Southern  Florida,  they 
spawn  in  March  in  the  salt-water  rivers.  'I'he  ova  sink  to  the  bottom. 
They  are  as  large  as  B-shcjt,  dark  brown  in  color,  and  are  often  seen  to 
run  from  the  parent  fish  when  it  is  captured.  In  a  large  fish  the  roe  some- 
times weighs  six  or  seven  pounds.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  according  to  Silas  Stearns,  they  spawn  in  April  and  May  in  inside 
waters. 

My  own  observations  upon  the  Drum  have  been  made  chiefiy  in  Florida. 
Specimens  of  ten  and  fifteen  inches  are  abundant  in  the  Lower  St.  John, 
and  are  frecjuently  taken  at  Jacksonville,  even  as  high  up  the  river  as  Doc- 
tor's Lake.      Large  ones  are  seldom  known  to  jiass  the  bar  at  Mayport. 

They  are  sometimes  caught  in  seines  in  great  numbers  and  retained  liv- 
ing in  the  .seines  until  disposed  of.  Drum-fishing  with  hook  and  line  is 
one  of  the  most  exciting  exploits  of  the  sportsmen  of  this  region.  In  the 
Nassau  River,  large  Drum  which  are  sold  at  Fernandina,  are  taken  with 
hook  and  line  in  the  spring. 

The  young  are  often  taken  in  seines  at  the  St.  John's  River  and  sold  in 
the  Jacksonville  market,  and  are  excellent  pan-fish,  as  my  own  experience 
testifies.  Their  fiesh  is  coarse,  but  tender,  and  it  is  thought  to  compare 
favorably  Avith  any  of  the  salt-water  fishes  of  the  region.     The  large  ones 


I  40 


AyniRJCAX  risiiEs, 


air  oftL'ii  I'atcn.  but  arc  not  so  much  sought  after;  perhaps  the  cause  f)f  this 
is  that  they  are  liaMe  to  he  infested  by  ])arasitic  worms.  A  Drum  of  sixty 
pounds,  taken  at  Wood's  lloll.  Massachusetts.  1S04,  was  completely  rid- 
dled by  nematode  worms,  neatly  encysted  among  the  layers  of  mus(  le. 
Some  of  them  were  two  feet  long,  with  heads  larger  than  large  buck-shot. 

In  the  Indian  River,  according  to  Mr.  C'larkc,  l)rum  are  taken  with 
hooks  and  c  rab  bait,  and  with  cast-nets,  in  summer  they  are  (  aught  in 
the  open  ocean  ;  in  the  winter,  in  the  bays  and  inlets.  Four  or  five  a  day 
is  considered  good  fishing  luck.  Tides  do  not  affect  the  fishing.  Tiieir 
llesh  is  not  greatlv  esteemed.  Thev  are  sometimes  salted,  but  are  chietlv 
used  for  compost.  "  In  the  dulf  of  Mexico,"  says  Stearns,  "  the  Drum  is 
often  caught  in  seines  and  gill-nets,  but  is  very  rarely  eaten,  as  the  llesh  is 
dry  and  tasteless." 

1  have  often  eaten  the  young  fish  in  Florida.  When  very  fresh,  the 
flavor  is  sweet  and  agreeable,  though  the  flesh  is  very  soft. 

In  the  Carolinas,  according  to  a  statement  of  a  correspondent,  the  roes 
are  considered  very  delicious,  and  it  is  customary  for  the  residents  of  the 
coast  to  salt  and  dry  them  and  send  them  "  up  country  "  to  their  friends 
as  a  very  acceptable  present. 

North  of  Maryland  the  fish  is  of  little  economical  importance.  In  the 
Chesapeake  region,  according  to  Uhler  and  Lugger,  its  flesh  is  much  es- 
teemeil,  and  its  roe  is  a  great  delicacy  ;  considerable  numbers  are  brought 
to  the  Baltimore  markets  in  s])ring  and  fall. 

The  scales  of  the  Drum  are  extensively  used  in  the  manufacture  of  the 
sprays  of  flowers  and  other  articles  of  fancy  work  which  are  sold,  especially 
in  Florida,  imder  the  name  of  "  fish  scale  jewelry."  They  are  large  and 
silvery,  and  so  hard  that  it  is  necessary  to  remove  them  from  the  fish  with 
an  axo  or  hatchet. 

The  ]">rum  was  known  to  the  Dutch  colonists  of  New  York  as  early  as 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century,  as  is  shown  by  references  in  Steen- 
dam's  poerp  "In  Praise  of  New  Netherland,"  already  referred  to.  Its 
name  was  "  Dartien,"  while  the  l)ass  was  "  Twalft,"  and  the  shad 
"  Elft  "  —  frets  which  give  endorsement  to  the  old  tradition  that  the  earlv 
colonists  of  New  Netherland  knew  only  ten  kinds  of  fish  and  that  when 
the  shad  came  they  called  it  the  eleventh  kind  {Elft)  the  bass  the  twelfth 
{T7ua/f()  and  the  Drum  the  thirteenth  {^Dartien  or  Dcrticncif).  It  is  inter- 
esting to  sptculate  as  to  which    were    the    ten    they   first    knew.      The 


Sr.A   DRlWr  AXD  LAKE   PKlWr. 


141 


fiillowiiiL;    lixt    is    imibahly    iioi    far    IVdiu    ri,i,'ht,   ami    is  useful   fn)in  its 
suggestions  as  to  the  origin  of  some  of  the  names  ntiw  in  use: 


/ 


^iiijrs. 


IVnh,  (white  and  yeUow). 


Ait/. 

Ifiiriii;^. 
Maki\iL 


errini:. 


H 


Mac  kereh 


5.     Stciihrassiin  and  Carper,  I'ream  and  Sucker. 


Mashank. 
Schol  and  Bot, 


St. 


cur. 


10. 


Prik. 

Knorliaan. 


Mosslmnki.  •  or   Menhaden. 

l-'hitfisli  ami  I'lujnder. 

Sturgeon. 

Lamprey. 

(lurnard  or  Sea  Kobin  and  Sculpin. 


'I'he  W'ickvis  (Weakt'isii  or  Si|ueteague),  llie  Roch  (Kot  k-fisli),  \.\\ki  Sonne 
vis  (Sun-fish),  SK<art  vis  (lUack-fisli  or  Tautog),  were  probably  later  dis- 
eoveries,  and  if  the  New  Netherlanders  had  been  less  imaginative,  might 
iia\e  been  called  numbers  fourteen  to  seventeen.  The  ])rincipal  difficulty 
with   this  mvth    is  that    Alosa   has   lonif   been    known    in    Holland  as  the 


Itt. 


I'erliaps  the  double    meaning  of  its  name  was  what 


SUL 


.■sted 


:end 


an  arithnieti(  al  nomenclature  for  the  others. 

Another  historical   incident  is  connected  with  J^'j^onias.      'I'he   K 
of  Pascagoula  and  its  mysterious  music,  deemed  supernatin-al  by  the  Indian> 
is  still  current.    "  It  mav  often  be  heard   there  on  s 


ummer  evenings, 


savs 


a  recent  writer, 


'The  listener  being  on  the  beacdi,  or,  yet  more  favor- 
ably, in  a  boat  lloating  on  the  river,  a  low,  jjlaintive  sound  is  heard  rising 
and  falling   like   that  of  an  .l-volian   harp,  and  seeming  to   issue  from  the 


water. 


Th 


e   sounds,    u 


hich   are   sweet   and  ])laintive,   but   i.ionot 


lonou^ 


cease  as  st)on  as  there  is  any  noise  or  disturbance  of  the  water."' 

Jiienville,  the  French  explorer,  heard  the  music  of  Pascagoula,  when  he 
made  his  v(.)yage  in  1699  to  the  mouths  of  the  Mississippi,  and  his  e\]ieri- 
ences  are  recorded  in  liis  narrati\e. 

Mr.  A.  W.  Roberts  gives  in  the  American  Ani:;/cr  the  following  inter- 
esting notes  upon  observations  of  the  Drum  in  confinement  : 

'•\Vhen  curator  of  the  New  York  Aipiarium,  several  small  sjiecimens  of 
the  so-called  '*  Banded  Drum"  were  brought  to  the  establishment  by  the 
regular  collectors.  At  first  they  were  placed  in  the  medium-sized  tanks, 
where  they  increased  in  size  so  ra])idly  that  in  course  of  time  it  was  found 
necessary  to  remove  them  to  more  roomy  i[uarters,  where   they   remaiied 


142 


AMERTCAN  FISHES. 


up  to  the  time  of  the  closing  up  of  the  establishment,  having  been  in  con- 
finement over  three  years,  and  by  which  time  they  had  become  the 
blackest  of  black  drum  ;  all  the  bands  that  were  so  conspicuous  in  their 
younger  stage  having  disapi)eared  entirely,  although,  for  the  la;  t  two 
years,  the  shark  tank,  (some  seventy  feet  in  length),  in  which  they  had 
been  kept,  was  always  flooded  with  strong  sunlight  in  the  morning  and 
strong  daylight  during  the  afternoon,  not  to  mention  a  flood  of  gaslight 
during  the  evening.  The  bottom  of  this  tank  consisted  of  clean  and 
white  shingle,  so  that  a  great  deal  of  reflected  light  was  the  result,  and  yet 
these  "  banded  drum  "  seemed  to  become  blacker  and  blacker  black  drum 
every  month.  Mussels  and  scollops,  in  the  shell,  were  their  particular 
delight,  and  they  always  had  plenty  as  long  as  I  was  their  keeper.  The 
bull-nosed  clam  was  too  much  for  their  pharyngeal  teeth,  consecpiently  I 
liad  them  partially  opened  before  feeding  them  out. 

"  During  the  spring  months  the  males  constantly  pursued  the  females,  and, 
on  such  occasions,  l>oth  the  males  and  females  gave  out  a  series  of  very 
musical  and  liquid  dium-like  sounds,  which  could  be  distinctly  heard 
in  any  part  of  the  acpiarium.  Often,  when  dredging  at  night-time  at 
Princess  Bay,  Staten  Island,  I  have  heard  the  constant  drumming  of  the 
drum  at  different  points  about  my  boat ;  they  were  evidently  having  a  big 
oyster  supper." 


TUE  LAKE  DRUM  OR  MALESHAGAXAY. 


The  fresh-water  Drum,  Haploidonotus  grtinniens,  is  always  known  in  the 
Great  Lakes  by  the  name  "  Sheepshead."  In  the  Ohio  River  it  is  usually 
called  "  White  Terch  "  or  "  Gray  Perch,"  often  simply  "  Perch."  In 
the  lakes  of  Northern  Indiana  it  is  called  "  Crocus,"  evidently  a  corrup- 
tion of  "Croaker."  In  the  Southern  States  the  name  "Drum"  pre- 
dominates ;  that  of  "  Thunder-pumper,"  also  used  for  the  bittern,  Botau- 


SEA  DRUM  AXD  LAKE  DRUM. 


143 


nis  Icntiginosus,  is  heard  along  the  Mississippi  River.      Southwestwanl,  ii 
Txniisiana,  Texas  and  Arkansas,  it  is  always  known  as  the  '•  (laspergou."' 

'  Drum,"  "  Thunder-pumper."  etc.,  refer  t( 


These  names,  "Croaker,' 
the  croaking  or  grunting  noise  made  by  this  species  in  common  with  most 
Scia^noids.  This  noise  is  thought  to  be  made  in  the  airdtladder  by  forc- 
ing the  air  from  one  comjiartment  to  another.  Another  name  used  in  the 
southwest  is  "Jewel-head." 


Th 


IS  species,     w 


•rites  Jordan,    "is  \erv  abundant  in   al 


an 


iKKllCS 


of  water  throughout  the  Western  States,  from  the  (Ireat  Lakes  to  tlie 
Rio  Grande.  It  seldom  enters  small  streams.  It  feeds  largely  upon  crus- 
taceans and  niollusks,  but  sometimes  swallows  other  fishes.  It  is  rather  a 
bottom  fish  than  otherwise.  Its  value  as  a  food-fish  depends  on  the  water 
and  food,  and,  unlike  most  fishes,  its  ([uality  seems  to  improve  to  the 
southward.  Although  from  its  size  and  abundance  it  becomes  an  import- 
ant market  fish,  it  cannot  at  best  be  considered  one  of  high  (jualit)'.  Its 
flesh  is  tough  and  coarse  in  filler,  and  often  of  a  disagreeable  sliark-like 
odor,  particularly  in  the  Great  Lakes,  where  it  is  never  eaten.  'J'he  flesh 
of  i)artly  grown  specimens  is  better  than  that  of  the  adult.  It  reaches  a 
length  of  four  feet  and  a  Aveight  of  forty  to  sixty  pounds.  Those  usually 
seen  in  market  are  much  smaller.  Nothing  is  known  concerning  its 
breeding  habits. 

The  ear  bones  or  otholiths  of  the  Lake  Drum  are  large  and  ha\  e  a  tex- 
ture like  ivory.  They  are  often  carrieil  as  amulets  by  the  negroes  of  the 
South,  and  are  also  prized  by  boys  in  Wisconsin  and  elsewhere  in  the  West, 
who  call  them  "lucky  stones,"  perhaps  in  allusion  to  the  fact  that  they 
are  marked  by  a  figure  which  resembles  the  letter  L.  The  name  "  Jewel- 
head  "  refers,  of  course,  to  these  bones,  and  Jordan's  generic  name  Eiity- 
chclithiis,  proposed  for  a  form  of  the  Lake  Drum,  supposed  to  inhabit  Lake 
Huron,  is  a  translation  of  the  words  "lucky  stone."  The  Lake  Huron 
form  is  in  all  probability  identical  with  that  of  the  other  lakes,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  the  Indian  name  "  Maleshaganay  "  may  be  i)reserved  in  con- 
nection with  these  lacustrine  scia^noids. 

*  Mr.  Norman  Walker,  in  a  recent  paper  on  "  Outdoor  Life  in  Louisiana,"  published  in  Outhii;,  infornis 
us  that  "gaspergou  "  is  '.n  Indian  word,  meaning  "  lish,"  and  is  applied  by  Louisianians  to  anything  lisliy 
from  the  sheepshead  to  the  mudsucker. 


% 


Tin:  coiUA. 


COBIA.  MOON-FISH  AND  FLASHER. 


Vmi  straiij^c,  ;i>tc>iiislic(l-li"'kiMi;,  ;ui,L:lc-facud, 

Drcary-muuthcd,  ijaiiiti;^  wretches  of  the  sea, 

(liilping  salt-water  overlastiiij'ly, 

CiiUl-l)looileil,  thou^li  with  reil  ymir  hloml  ho  Ljraced, 

Ami  mute,  though  dwellers  in  the  roaring;  waste, 

What  is't  you  dcj?  what  life  lead  ?  eh,  dull  gogi^Ies? 

How  do  ye  vary  your  didl  days  and  nights? 

How  pass  yonr  Sundays  '!    Are  ye  still  hut  joggles, 

In  ceaseless  wash?  Still  noiiL;ht,  hut  gapes,  and  hites, 

And  drinks,  and  stares,  d.iversilied  with  hoggles, 

Ltu;ii  Hi.NT,   The  Man  to  thr  Fish. 


npHK  Cobia  or  cral)-catcr,  Elacaic  civnula,  known  in  tlie  Chesapeake 
15ay  as  the  "  Bonito  "  or  the  "Coal-fish,"  as  the  "Sergeant-fish" 
in  Southern  and  I'-astern  Florida,  and  in  parts  of  Florida  as  the  "  Ling" 
or  "Snooks,"  is  considered  one  of  the  most  important  food-fishes  of 
^laryland  and  ViTginia,  though  it  is  b",<:  little  known  elsewhere.  Like  the 
Bluefish.  it  is  cosmopolitan  in  its  distribution,  having  been  recorded  in  the 
seas  of  China  and  Japan,  in  Southeastern  Hindostan,  in  the  Malay  Archi- 
pelago, on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  in  the  West  Indies  anil  the  Bermudas, 
where  it  is  called  the  "  Cubby-yew,"  and  along  our  own  shores  from  the 
C/ulf  of  Mexico  to  Cai)e  Cod.  DeKay  speaks  of  the  capture  of  a  single 
individual,  in  Boston  Harbor.  The  species  was  originally  described  by 
T,inna;us  from  a  si)ecimen  sent  to  him  from  South  Carolina  by  Dr.  Garden. 
The  name  "  Sergeant-fish"  refers  to  its  peculiar  coloration,  several  strij)es 
of  brown  and  grey  being  visible  on  the  sides  of  the  body.  The  name 
"Crab-eater"  ajipears  to  have  been  ascribed  to  the  fish  by  Dr.  Mitchill. 
What  is  known  of  its  habits  may  be  very  shortly  told.  Holbrook  remarked  : 
"  Tile  (.^rab-eater  is  a  solitary  fish  ;   it  prefers  deep  and  clear  water  and  is 


COB  I  A,  MO  ON- FISH  AND  FLASHER. 


M5 


only  taken  singly  with  a  hook.  It  lives  on  the  coast  of  Carolina  late  ii, 
!May,  and  is  occasionally  captured  until  September,  when  it  is  no  longer 
seen  in  our  waters.  It  is  exceedingly  voracious,  and  destroys  many 
smaller  fish,  which  make  its  ordinary  food,  though  it  does  not  reject 
crustaceous  animals. ' ' 

Mitchill  dissected  a  specimen  caught  in  New  York  Bay  obtained  by 
him  in  tlic  city  w  .rket  in  June,  1815.  He  found  its  stomach  dis- 
tended with  food  of  various  sorts,  including  twenty  si)Otted  sand-crabs 
and  several  young  flounders.  DeKay  tells  us  that  the  si)ecimcn  from 
which  his  description  was  taken  was  captured  in  a  seine  in  the  harl)or  ot 
Boston  and  placed  in  a  car  with  otiier  fish.  It  was  soon  discovered  that 
it  had  destroyed  and  eaten  every  fish  in  the  car.  'I'hese  fish  were  chiefix- 
sculpins  and  porgies.  Mr.  S.  C.  Clarke,  speaking  of  the  fish  faiuia  of 
Florida,  remarks:  "This  fish  I  have  never  seen  except  in  the  Indian 
River,  where  it  is  a  common  species,  lying  under  the  mangrove  bushes  in 
wait  for  ])rey  like  a  pike,  which  it  much  resembles  in  form  and  in  the  long 
under  jaw  full  of  sharp  teeth."  The  size  is  from  two  to  three  feet.  It 
attains  the  length  of  fi\e  feet  and  the  weight  of  fifteen  or  twenty  pounds. 

The  Cobia  breeds  in  the  Chesapeake  ]]ay,  where  in  1880  j\Ir.  R.  K. 
Earll  succeeded  in  artificially  fertilizing  the  eggs.  Dr.  Mitchill  speaks  of 
its  availability  as  a  food-fish  in  the  highest  terms. 

It  is  occasionally  taken  by  trolling  lines  in  the  dulf,  and  seems  to  be 
regard'^d  with  favor  by  the  anglers  who  have  made  its  accpiaintance.  Mr. 
AV.  C.  Prime,  whose  charming  book,  "  I  do  a  Fishing,"  has  become  one 
of  the  classics  of  Wallonian  literature,  writes  ; 


"  In  shape  he  may  be  roughly  likened  to  the  great  northern  pike,  with 
a  similar  head,  flattened  on  the  forehead.  He  is  dark  green  on  the  back, 
growing  lighter  on  the  sides,  but  the  distinguishing  characteristic  is  a 
broad,  dark  collar  over  the  neck,  from  which  two  Idack  stri])es  or  straps, 
parting  on  the  shoulders,  extend,  one  on  each  side,  to  the  tail.  He  looks 
as  if  harnessed  with  a  pair  of  traces,  and  his  behavior  on  a  fly-rod  is  that 
of  a  wild  horse.  The  first  one  that  1  struck,  in  the  brackish  water  of 
Hillsborough  River  at  Tampa,  gave  me  a  hitherto  unknown  sensation. 
The  tremendous  rush  was  not  unfamiliar,  but  when  the  fierce  fellow  took 
the  top  of  the  water  and  went  along  lashing  it  with  his  tail,  swift  as  a 
bullet,  then  descended,  and  with  a  short,  sharp,  electric  shock  left  the 
line  to  come  home  free,  I  was  for  an  instant  confounded.  It  was  all  over 
in  ten  seconds.     Nearly  every  fish  that  I  struck  after  this  behaved  in  the 


146 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


same  way,  and  after  I  had  gotten   '  the  hang  of  them  '   I  took  a  great 
many. ' ' 


"^^Ss- 


THE  MOON  riSU  OK  Sl'ADK  risii. 


The  Moon-fish,  Chcctodiptcriis  fahcr,  is  on(;  of  the  rarer  species  on  our 
coast,  and  has  recently  come  so  miicli  into  favor  in  New  York  that  among 
connoisseurs  it  is  one  of  tlie  most  highly  esteemed  food-fishes.  It  is  also 
greatly  valued  by  residents  of  Washington  who  know  it,  being  abundant 
in  the  markets  of  that  city  in  summer.  In  the  northern  parts  of  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  it  is  called  the  "Spade-fish";  from  Florida  to  Charleston  the 
"Angel-fish,"  a  name  which,  according  to  Schoepf,  appears  to  have  been 
current  during  the  last  century  at  Beaufort,  N.  C,  where  it  is  called  the 
"  Porgee  "  or  "  Porgy,"  and  at  New  York,  where  it  is  stated  to  be  found 
in  summer.  "  Three-tail  Sheei)shead  "  and  "Three-tailed  Porgee"  are 
names  which  are  said  to  have  been  formerly  in  use  among  the  New  York 
fishermen. 


com  A,  Moox-Ffsir  axd  flasher. 


M7 


The  range  of  this  species  ah)ng  our  coast  is  very  wide.  It  lias  h-een 
found  in  (luatemala,  and  j^erhaps  farther  south,  and  the  J'ritisli  Museum 
has  specimens  from  Texas,  Santo  Domingo,  and  Jamaica.  It  is  said  to  be 
somewhat  abundant  on  the  coast  of  S(juth  ('arolina,  and  not  uncommon  at 
the  entrance  to  the  Chesa])eake  l>ay.  They  are  occasionally  taken  alxMit 
New  York,  and  several  individuals  have  been  obtained  by  the  Fish  Com- 
mission at  Woods  Holl.  It  is  occasionally  taken  in  Southern  California, 
about  San  Diego.  It  attains  the  length  of  eighteen  inches  and  the  weight 
of  several  pounds.  'J"he  large  adult  s])ecimens  have  a  jieculiar  globular  bone 
in  the  head,  unlike  anything  which  has  been  found  in  any  other  fisli. 
Two  s])ecies  have  been  recognized  by  American  ichthyologists.  It  seems 
l)robable  that  these  represent  different  ages  of  the  same  fish.  The  only 
study  of  its  liabits  in  existence  is  the  following,  which  is  (pioted  from  Mr. 
Stearns'    excellent  journal  of  obser\  ations. 

"  1'he  Sjjade-Fish,  CJuTtoiiiptcrus  fahir,  is  common  on  tlie  ^^■est  Florida, 
Alabama,  and  Louisiana  coasts.  I  lia\e  not  observed  it  in  South  Florida. 
It  is  found  throughout  the  summer  and  fall  in  the  bays,  about  wharves. 
rock-i)iles,  and  old  wrecks,  where  crustaceous  animals  are  abundant.  In 
October  and  November  large  schools  are  seen  along  the  sea-beaches,  evi- 
dently leaving  the  coast  for  warmer  waters,  at  which  time  many  are  caught 
by  seine  fishermen.  It  spawns  in  early  summer,  and  the  young  are  seen 
iintil  October.  1  have  seen  specimens  of  Spade-fish  fifteen  inches  long  ; 
but  the  average  size  is  not  more  than  eight  inches.  It  is  an  excellent 
pan-fish,  selling  readily  in  market." 

This  species  is  known  to  the  fishermen  of  the  St.  John's  and  Indian 
Rivers,  Fla.,  under  the  name  "  Angel-fish."  Holbrook  states  that  it  ap- 
pears on  the  shores  of  South  Carolina  in  May  and  June,  and  is  then  taken 
in  considerable  numbers  with  the  sei'->e.  Jordan  states  that  it  is  common 
at  Beaufort,  N.  C,  where  it  is  used  as  a  food-fish.  Lugger  remarks  that 
it  is  not  uncommon  in  the  salt-water  region  near  the  entrance  to  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  but  is  seldom,  if  e\er,  brought  to  the  Baltimore  markets. 
DeKay  remarks  that  in  the  waters  of  New  York  it  only  appears  periodi- 
cally, and  occasionally  in  great  numbers  during  the  summer  months. 
.\bout  1822  they  were  caught  here  in  seines  in  great  numbers,  and  exposed 
in  the  Markets  for  sale.  I  am  not  aware  that  any  such  incursion  has  since 
been  observed.  On  the  coast  of  California,  where,  according  to  Jordan, 
It  IS  occasionally  taken  about  San  Diego  in  the  kelp,  it  is  too  rare  to  be  of 
commercial  importance. 


148 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


V?»JJJjSy  »  »  •  <  l<  I  I  I  »  .  (  nH  r  n»<»<^<«<    -.v.    1  >,"',■■ 

''(SSSS""'  1  • « <  1 1 V 1 1 1 1 1  i  M  t  <  <  <  »••■-,'.' ',,..- 

'^■■•■sat"  ^  *  *  ♦  *  *,  1  I  »  >  '.  I  I  1  ^  t  I  »  1  •  '  •  '  '  ;  ■•  '  -1      '.  • 


THE  FI.ASIIF.R. 

The  "Flasher"  or  "Triple-tail"  of  New  York,  Lo/>ofcs  sii/-i>ia»ic>isis, 
known  in  South  Carolina  as  the  "  Black  Perch,"  and  to  the  fishermen  of  St. 
John's  River  as  the  "Grouper,"  is  spoken  of  by  various  authors  as  the 
"  Black  Triple-tail,"  and  in  1S56,  according  to  Ciill.  was  called  in  New 
York  market  the  "  Flasher."  It  is  remarkable  on  accoimt  of  its  extraordi- 
narily wide  range,  having  been  found  in  China,  the  Malay  Archip.elago,  at 
Sunda  and  Molucca,  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  and  in  the  Mediterranean 
about  Sicily,  at  Ceylon,  in  the  West  Indies  .iliout  Cuba  and  Jamaica,  on 
the  coast  of  South  America,  and  in  Surinam,  whence  the  first  specimen  was 
derived,  and  from  which  locality  the  sjiecies  takes  its  scientific  name,  and 
along  the  coast  of  the  United  States  from  St.  John's  River  to  Woods  Holl, 
Mass.  The  Triple-tail  is  a  short,  thick,  heavily  built  fish.  The  dorsal 
and  anal  fins  i)roject  backwards  towards  the  base  of  the  caudal  so  promi- 
nently as  to  give  origin  to  the  common  name.  When  alive  it  is  a  very 
beautiful  species,  silvery  and  grey  in  color,  but  after  death  it  soon  becomes 
dingy — so  dingy,  in  fact,  that  many  of  the  common  names  are  prefixed  by 
the  adjective  "black."  I  saw  four  specimens  at  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  on 
the  5th  of  April,  1875.  The  largest  weighed  about  ten  pounds  and 
measured  nearly  two  feet  in  length.  The  species  is  abundant  about 
Charleston,  where,  according  to  Holbrook,  it  appears  in  June  anil  remains 
until  September.  It  feeds  upon  small  fishes  and  mussels,  and  is  said  to 
take   the  hook  readily  when  baited  with  clams  or  with  shrimps.     It  is 


CORIUA  MOOXFISJI  AXD  J' J.  AS  HER. 


149 


occasionally  taken  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Chesapeake  ]5ay.  and  Prof. 
Baird  obtained  specimens  al)OUt  three  iiK  lies  loni^  in  August  among  the 
eel-grass  on  Tuckahoe  River,  in  New  Jersey.  Stragglers  have  been  taken 
at  New  York,  and  even  as  far  north  as  Wood's  Hall,  Mass.  'The)-  are 
occasionally  brought  to  the  New  \'ork  market,  where  they  are  highly- 
esteemed,  ("lill,  writing  in  1S56,  said:  '•  I  saw  a  single  spec  imen  of  this 
species  in  Fulton  market  last  year,  which  remained  exposed  on  tlie  stall 
from  August  30  to  September  6.  It  did  not  seem  to  be  known.  It  was 
about  fifteen  inches  in  length,  and  one  dollar  was  ilemanded  for  it." 
l)e\'oe  saw  one  in  Catherine  market,  in  August,  1.S64.  taken  in  a  net  on 
the  Long  Island  coast,  near  I'latlands.  He  speaks  of  its  excellence  as  a 
fish  for  boiling,  comparing  it  to  the  Sheepshead.  \\\  the  fishermen  of  St. 
John's  River.  I'la..  it  is  considereil  one  of  the  finest  food-fishes,  and  its 
large  silver  scales  command  a  high  ])rice  at  the  fancy  shops,  where  they  are 
sold  to  be  used  in  the  manufacture  of  scale  works. 


'I'llK  UAVAI.I.IA. 


The  Ravallia  or  Snook,  Ccntropoimis  iiiiih'cimalis,  is  a  fish  •which  has  only 
recently  been  added  to  the  fauna  of  the  United  States. 

It  occurs  only  along  the  (iulf  coast,  where  it  is  known  by  the  Spanish 
name,  *' Robalo,"  with  such  variations  as  "  Ravaljo,"  "  Ravallie  "  and 
''Ravallia."  It  ranges  from  Florida  to  Rio  Janeiro,  and  occurs  in  the 
Pacific  from  the  Gulf  of  California  at  least  to  Callao.  The  "  Robalo  " 
of  Chili  is  (piite  another  fish,  the  Pingiiipcs  cJiilciisis,  of  Cuvier,  A  closely 
allied  species,  Cciitropumus  robalcto,  is  the  "  Constantine  "  or  "  Robaleto  " 
of  the  Mazatlan  fishermen. 

The  Cciitropomus  is  a  ])erch-like  fish,  and  is  not  unlike  Stizostcditim  in 
apitearance   and   structure.      Its    habits   are   very  like    those   of  its    fresh- 


s 


150 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


water  ally,  and  it  may  appropriately  be  considered  the  ])ike-perrh  of  the 
sea  roast.  It  occurs  in  the  sea  and  also  in  brackish  estuaries.  The 
Robalo  attains  the  length  of  about  three  feet,  and  is  exceedingly  strong, 
active  and  voracious,  feeding  upon  all  kinds  of  small  fishes.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly a  good  fish  for  the  sportsman,  though  the  "Ravallia"  or 
"Snook"  usually  referred  to  in  the  chronicles  of  angling  is  Elacatc. 

I^resident  Jordan  gives  it  an  unqualified  endorsement:  "A  vigorous 
gamy  fish  it  must  certainly  be,  from  its  build  and  food,  though  I  never 
took  it  on  the  hook.  I  have  eaten  them  baked,  and  I  know  them  to  be 
good,  and  the  Creole  Spanish  hold  them  in  high  esteem.  In  structure 
they  much  resemble  the  striped  bass,  and  Robalo  is  the  Si)anish  name  for 
the  luiropcan  bass.  Probably  the  objection  is  simple  prejudice.  I  once 
heard  a  darky,  who  had  never  before  seen  a  Robalo,  say  of  a  twenty- 
pounder,  that  '  he  would  rather  cat  the  devil  than  such  a  looking  fish.'  It 
is  much  valued  on  the  Mexican  coast  and  is  occasionally  taken  about  Gal- 
veston in  summer.  It  becomes  much  more  abundant  southward  along  the 
Texas  coast,  and  is  one  of  the  staple  food-fishes  about  Brazos  Santiago." 

There  is  reason  for  caution  in  speaking  about  this  fish  by  its  common 
names,  since  we  are  assured  by  Dr.  Henshall  that  the  name  "Ravallia" 
is  very  commonly  applied  to  the  Cobia,  and  that  the  name  "Snooks"  is 
the  one  in  common  use  for  Ccntropomiis  on  the  west  coast  of  Florida.  This, 
is  of  course  a  corruption  of  Snock,  the  Dutch  name  for  the  Pike  {^Esox 
lucius),  and  was  used  in  Dampier's  list  of  fishes  printed  in  the  seventeenth 
century. 


^- 


ik(f 


THE  BLUEFISH. 


AikI,  as  he  ilarts,  the  waters  lilue 

Are  streaked  with  gleams  uf  many  a  hue 

Urecn,  orange,  purple  ami  guld.  Matthi'.w  G.  Lewis. 


Call  them  Sir,  by  whatever  name  we  please  :  whether  Miie-fish,  of  Massachusetts  liay  ;  snapper,  of  New 
Hedfcird  ;  horse-mackerel,  on  the  shores  of  Rhode  Island;  or  tailor,  in  Delaware  I!ay,  they  are  the  same 
'rciiiiuhion  saltator  still,  and  deal  out  destruction  and  death  to  other  species  in  all  the  localities  they  visit. 

Speech  of  Hon.  X.  E.  Atwoou,  of  the  Cape  District,  1870. 


'T^HIS  fish,  whiih  on  the  coast  of  Now  l'".nghin(l  and  the  Middle  States 
is  called  the  IJluefish,  is  also  known  in  Rhode  Island  as  the  "  Horse 
Mackerel  ";  south  of  Cape  Hatterasas  the  "  Skipjack  ;"  in  North  Carolina, 
Virginia,  and  Maryland  it  is  sometimes  known  as  the  "  Green-fish."  Young 
Bhiefish  are  in  some  parts  of  New  England  called  "  Snapping  Mackerel  " 
or  "Snappers;"  about  New  Bedford  "Blue  Snappers;"  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  Sea  Bass  they  are  sometimes  spoken  of  as  the  "  Bluefish." 
About  New  York  they  are  c:.lled  -  Skip  Mackerel,"  and  higher  up  the 
Hudson  River  "White-fish,"  In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  the  name  "Blue- 
fish  "  is  in  general  use. 

Pomatomiis  saltafrix  is  widely  distributed — in  the  ^Nlalay  Archipelago, 
Australia,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Ho]je,  at  Natal  and  about  Madagascar ; 
in  the  Mediterranean,  where  it  is  a  well-known  and  highly-prized  food- 
fish  in  the  markets  of  Algiers,  though  rare  on  the  Italian  side.  It 
has  been  seen  at  Malta,  at  Alexandria,  along  the  coast  of  Syria,  and  about 
the  Canaries.  It  has  never  been  seen  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  Europe, 
and,  strangely  enough,  never  in  the  waters  of  the  Bermudas  or  any  of  the 
Western  Islands.     On  our  coast  it  ranges  from  Central  Brazil  and  .the 


152 


AMERICAN  J'lSlfES. 


(liii;inas  through  the  Ciiilf  of  Mexico  and  north  to  Nova  Scotia,  tIioiij,Mi 
ncvLT  seen  in  tlie  IJay  of  J'undy.  l-'roni  Cajie  I'lorida  to  I'enobscot  liay, 
IMiiefish  are  abiuKhint  at  all  seasons  when  the  tenii)erature  of  the  water  is 
jiropitious.  It  is  not  yet  known  what  limits  of  temperature  are  the  most 
favorable  to  their  welfare,  but  it  would  appear,  from  the  study  of  the  dates 
of  their  ai)pearance  during  a  |ieriod  of  years  in  connection  with  the  ocean 
temperature,  that  they  i)refer  to  avoid  water  which  is  much  colder  than 
40°.  It  is  ])ossible  that  the  presence  of  their  favorite  food,  the  menhaden, 
has  as  much  influence  upon  their  movements  as  water  temperature.  Certain 
it  is,  that  few  liluefish  arc  found  on  ou'  Middle  and  Southern  coast  when 
the  menhaden  are  absent ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  lUuefish  do  not  venture 
in  great  numbers  into  the  Gidf  of  Maine  at  the  time  when  menhaden  are 
schooling  and  are  at  their  greatest  abundance.  Their  favorite  summer 
haunts  are  in  the  partially  protected  waters  of  the  Middle  States  from 
May  to  October,  with  an  average  temperature  of  60°  to  75°.  The  men- 
haden, or  certain  schools  of  them,  affect  a  cooler  climate  and  thrive  in  the 
waters  of  Western  and  Central  Maine  in  the  months  when  the  harbor 
temperatures  are  little  above  50°  and  55°,  and  that  of  the  ocean  consid- 
erably lower. 

Since  Prof.  Baird  wrote  in  1871,  there  has  been  no  great  change  in 
the  abundance  of  Bluefish.  They  are  (luite  sufficient  in  number  to  supply 
the  demand  for  them  and  to  make  great  inroads  upon  the  other  fishes, 
some  of  which,  like  the  menhaden  and  mackerel,  would  perhaps,  if  undis- 
turbed by  the  Bluefish,  be  more  valuable  than  they  are  at  present.  They 
have  now  been  with  us  for  fifty  years.  Their  numbers  are  subjec  t  to 
l^eriodical  variations,  of  the  causes  of  which  we  are  ignorant.  It  is  to  be 
regretted  that  there  are  no  records  of  it  in  the  South  Atlantic  States.  If 
such  existed,  we  might,  perhaps,  learn  from  them  that  the  Bluefish 
remained  in  those  waters  while  absent  from  the  northern  coasts.  Only 
one  statement  is  to  be  found  which  covers  this  period,  although  Lawson, 
in  his  "  History  of  North  Carolina,"  published  in  1709,  and  Catcsby,  in 
his  "  Natural  History  of  the  Carolinas,"  published  in  1743,  refer  to  its 
presence.  In  "  Bartram's  Travels,"  published  in  1791,  the  "Skipjack"  is 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  most  abundant  fish  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's 
River.  When  Bluefish  again  became  abundant  their  presence  was  first 
noticed  at  the  South,  and  they  seem  to  have  made  their  inroads  from  that 
direction.     The  Bluefish  was  unknown  to  Schoepf,  if  we  may  judge  from 


TlfE  nLCEFISH. 


•53 


his  work  on  the  "Fishes  of  New  York,"  imlilished  in  \''^'.  I>r. 
Mitchill  recorded  their  fre(|Uent  i  ajtturc  about  New  \'ork  in  1S14,  though 
before  1810  they  are  said  to  have  lieen  unknown  tiiere.  In  1S25  they 
were  very  abu'.idant  and  in  1S41  inniiense  numbers  were  (  aptured  in  the 
Vineyard  Sound,  while  al)out  Nantuc  ket  they  were  on  the  inc  rease  tVoni 
1820  to  1830.  It  is  certain  that  they  i)ad  not  reappeared  in  1S22  in  Nar- 
ragansett  iJay,  for  in  *'  Dwiglit's  'I'ravels."  it  is  stated  that,  though 
formerly  abundant,  they  had  not  been  seen  in  that  region  sine  e  tiie  time 
(•>{  the  Revolution. 

The  first  one  which  was  noticed  north  of  Cape  C"od  was  captured  in 
October  1837,  though  we  have  no  record  of  their  appearance  about  C'ape 
Ann  before  1847. 

The  Bluefish  is  a  carnivorous  animal  of  the  most  pronounced  type,  feed- 
ing solely  upon  oilier  fish.      Prof.  IJaird  remarks  ; 

"There  is  no  parallel  in  point  of  destructiveness  to  the  Bluefish  among 
the  marine  species  on  our  coast,  whatever  may  be  the  case  among  some  ot 
the  carnivorous  fish  of  the  South  American  waters.  The  Bluefish  has  been 
well  likened  to  an  animated  chopping-machine,  the  business  of  whi(  h  is 
to  cut  to  pieces  and  otherwise  destroy  as  many  fish  as  i)ossible  in  a  gi\en 
space  of  time.  All  writers  are  unanimous  in  regard  to  the  destine  liveiu'ss 
of  the  Bluefish.  Going  in  large  schools,  in  pursuit  of  lish  not  mu(  h 
inferior  to  themselves  in  si/e,  they  move  along  like  a  pack  of  hungry 
wolves,  destroying  everything  before  them.  Their  trail  is  marked  by 
fragments  of  fish  and  by  the  stain  of  blood  in  the  sea,  as,  where  the  fish  is 
too  large  to  be  swallowed  entire,  the  hinder  portion  will  be  bitten  off  and 
the  anterior  part  allowed  to  float  away  or  sink.  It  is  even  maintained, 
with  great  earnestness,  that  such  is  the  gluttony  of  the  fish,  that  when  the 
stomach  becomes  full  the  contents  are  disgorged  and  then  again  filled.  It 
is  certain  that  it  kills  many  more  fish  than  it  requires  for  its  own  sup])ort. 

"The  youngest  fish,  equally  with  the  older,  perform  this  function  of 
destruction,  and  although  they  occasionally  devour  crabs,  worms,  etc.,  the 
bulk  of  their  sustenance  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  year  is  derived 
from  other  fish.  Nothing  is  more  common  than  to  find  a  small  Bluefish 
of  six  or  eight  inches  in  length  under  a  school  of  minnows  making  con- 
tinual dashes  and  cajitures  among  them.  The  stomachs  of  the  Bluefish  of 
all  sizes,  with  rare  exceptions,  are  found  loailed  with  the  other  fish,  some- 
times to  the  number  of  thirty  or  forty,  either  entire  or  in  fragments. 


J 


'.vt 


AyrERrcAX  Fisrrr.s. 


'•As  already  ictcrrtMl  to,  it  must  also  be  boriK-  in  mind  that  it  is  not 
.ne'ifiy  thf  small  tVy  that  arc  thus  devoured,  and  which  it  is  expei  ted  will 
fall  a  prey  to  other  animals,  hut  that  the  food  of  the  iJhiefish  consists  very 
Kirgely  of  indix  idtials  whi(  h  have  already  passed  a  larne  percentaj,'e  of  the 
( lianccs  against  their  attaining'   maturity,  many  of  them,  indeed,  having 


armed  at  the  period  of  spawning.  lo  make  the  case  more  clear,  let  us 
realize  for  a  moment  the  number  of  liluefish  that  exist  on  out  coast  in  the 
summer  season.  As  far  as  I  can  ascertain  by  the  statistics  obtained  at  the 
fishing  stations  on  the  New  Taigland  coast,  as  also  from  the  records  of  the 
New  N'ork  markets,  kindly  furnished  by  Middleton  X:  Carman,  of  the 
I'liltcii  .Market,  the  capture  of  Bluefish,  from  New  Jersey  to  Monomoy, 
during  the  season,  amounts  to  not  less  than  one  million  indi\iduals, 
a\eraging  five  or  six  pounds  each.  Those,  however,  who  h.ive  seen  the 
l)luei'ish  in  his  native  waters,  and  realized  the  immense  number  there  exist- 
ing, will  be  (juite  willing  to  admit  that  probably  not  one  I'lsh  in  a  thousand 
is  ever  taken  by  man.  If,  therefore,  we  have  an  actual  capture  of  one 
million,  we  may  allow  one  thousand  millions  as  occurring  in  the  extent 
of  our  coasts  referred  to,  even  neglecting  the  smaller  ones,  which,  perhaps, 
should  also  be  taken  into  the  account. 

"  An  allowance  of  ten  fish  j^er  day  to  each  Bluefish  is  not  excessive, 
according  to  the  testimony  elicited  from  the  fishermen  and  substantiated 
by  the  stomachs  of  those  examined  ;  this  gives  ten  thousand  millions  of 
fish  destroyed  per  day.  And  as  the  period  of  the  stay  of  the  Bluefish  on 
the  New  England  coast  is  at  least  one  hundred  and  twenty  days,  we  have 
in  round  numbers  twelve  hundred  million  millions  offish  devoured  in  the 
course  of  a  season.  Again,  if  each  Bluefish,  averaging  five  pounds, 
devours  or  destroys  even  half  its  own  weight  of  other  fish  per  day  (anil  I 
am  not  sure  that  the  estimate  of  some  witnesses  of  twice  this  weight  is  not 
more  nearly  correct),  we  will  have,  during  the  same  period,  a  daily  loss  of 
twenty-five  hundred  million  pounds,  equal  to  three  hundred  thousand  mil- 
lions for  the  season. 

"  This  estimate  applies  to  three  or  four  year  old  fish,  of  at  least  three  to 
five  pounds  in  weight.  We  must,  however,  allow  for  those  of  smaller  size, 
and  a  hundred-fold  or  more  in  number,  all  engaged  simultaneously  in  the 
butchery  referred  to. 

"We  can  scarcely  conceive  of  a  number  so  vast  ;  and  however  much  we 
may  diminish,  within  reason,  the  estimate  of  the  number  of  Bluefish  and 


TTFE  nLCEFrsir. 


'55 


the  avcraitf  iif  tluir  (•ai)tiircs,  there  still  rt-mains  an  api)allin;,'  aj,'j.'r(.'j;att> 
(if  (K'>tru(  lion.  While  the  smallest  lUuelish  feed  upon  the  diniinutive  fry. 
those  of  which  we  have  taken  account  capture  fish  o*"  large  size,  many  of 
iJKin.  if  not  (ajialile  of  reprocUittion,  being  within  at  least  one  or  two 
year^  of  that  period. 

'•  It  is  estimated  liy  \ery  good  authority  that  of  the  spawn  deposited  liy 
any  fish  at  a  gi\en  time  not  more  than  thirty  per  cent,  are  hat(  lied,  and 
that  less  than  ten  percent,  attain  an  age  when  they  are  able  to  take  (are 
of  themsehes.  .\s  their  age  increases,  the  chances  of  reaching  maturit\ 
become  greater  and  griMter.  It  is  among  the  small  residuum  of  this  class 
that  the  agency  of  the  iiluefish  is  e\i;rcisecl,  and  whatever  reasonable 
rediK  tion  may  be  made  in  our  estimate,  we  cannot  doul)t  that  thev  exert 
a  material  inlhience. 

'•  The  rate  of  growth  of  the  lUuel'ish  is  also  an  evidence  of  the  immense 
amount  of  focxl  they  must  consume.  l"he  _\oung  fish  which  first  apjiear 
along  the  shores  of  \'ineyard  Sound,  about  the  middle  of  August,  are  about 
fi\e  inches  in  length.  Ws  the  beginning  of  .September,  ho\ve\er,  they 
have  reached  six  or  seven  inches,  and  on  their  rea|)iiearance  in  the  second 
year  they  measure  about  twelve  or  fifteen  inches.  After  this  they  increase 
in  a  still  more  rapid  ratio.  .V  fish  which  i)asses  eastward  from  \'ineyard 
Soinid  in  the  spring,  weighing  five  pounds,  is  represented,  according  to 
the  general  impression,  by  the  ten  to  fifteen  pound  fish  of  the  autumn.  If 
this  be  the  fact,  the  fish  of  three  or  four  pounds  which  pass  along  the 
coast  of  Xorth  Carolina  in  March  return  to  it  in  October  weighing  ten  to 
fifteen  jjounds. 

"  As  already  e.\i)lained,  the  relationship  of  these  fish  to  the  other 
inhabitants  of  the  sea  is  that  of  an  unmitigated  butcher;  and  it  is  able  to 
contend  successfully  with  any  other  species  not  superior  to  itself  in  si/e. 
It  is  not  known  whether  an  entire  school  ever  imite  in  an  attack  upon  a 
particular  object  of  prey,  as  is  said  to  be  the  case  with  the  ferocious  fishes 
of  the  South  Anieric.-an  rivers  ;  should  they  do  so,  no  animal,  however 
large,  could  withstand  their  onslaught. 

"  They  ajipear  to  eat  anything  that  swims  of  suitable  size — fish  of  all 
kinds,  but  i)erhaps  more  especially  the  menhaden,  which  they  seem  to  fol- 
low along  the  coast,  and  which  they  attack  with  such  ferocity  as  to  drive 
them  on  the  shore,  where  they  are  sometimes  piled  up  in  windrows  to  the 
depth  of  a  foot  or  more. 


^56 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


"  The  amount  of  food  they  destroy,  even  if  the  whole  of  it  be  not 
actually  consumed,  is  almost  incredible.  Mr.  Westgate  and  others  esti- 
mate it  at  twice  the  weight  of  the  fish  in  a  day,  and  this  is  ])erha|)s  quite 
reasonable.  Caj^t.  Spindle  goes  so  far  as  to  say  that  it  will  destroy  a 
thousand  fish  in  a  day.  This  gentleman  is  also  of  the  opinion  tliat  they 
do  much  more  harm  to  the  fishes  of  the  coast  than  is  caused  by  the 
pounds.  They  will  generally  swallow  a  fish  of  a  very  large  size  in  ju-opor- 
tion  to  their  own,  sometimes  taking  it  down  bodily;  at  others,  only  the 
jiosterior  half.  'IMie  peculiar  armor  of  certain  fish  prevents  their  being 
taken  entire  ;  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  the  head  of  a  sculpin  or 
other  fish,  whose  body  has  evidently  been  cut  off  by  the  Bluefish.  In  tlie 
summer  time  the  young  are  cpiite  apt  to  establish  themselves  singly  in  a 
favorite  locality,  and,  indeed,  to  accompany  the  fry  ot  other  fishes  usually 
])laying  below  them,  and  every  now  and  then  darting  upward  and  captur- 
ing an  unlucky  individual,  while  the  rest  dash  away  in  every  direction. 
In  this  manner  they  attend  upon  the  young  mullet,  atherinas,  etc.  They  are 
very  fond  of  squid,  which  may  very  frequently  be  detected  in  their 
stomachs.  In  Augi"-t  1870,  about  Fire  Island,  Mr.  S.  I.  Smith  fountl 
their  stomachs  filled  with  marine  worms,  a  species  oi  Ilcfcroiicrcis,  which, 
though  usually  burrowing  in  the  mud,  at  that  season  swims  freely  toward 
the  surface  in  connection  with  the  operation  of  reproduction.  This,  like 
the  squid,  is  a  favorite  bait  for  the  Bluefish  ;  and  they  api)ear  to  care  for 
little  else  when  these  are  to  be  had.  This  fact  probably  explains  the 
reason  why,  at  certain  seasons,  no  matter  how  a])undant  the  fish  may  be, 
they  cannot  be  taken  with  the  drail  or  squid  boat." 

The  Bluefish  are  believed  to  have  had  a  very  important  influence  upon 
the  al)undance  of  other  species  on  some  part  of  the  coast.  This  has  been 
noticed  especially  on  the  north  side  of  Cape  Cod.  South  of  Cajie  Cod 
the  small  fish  occur  in  such  enormous  abundance  that  even  the  voracity  of 
millions  of  Bluefish  could  hardly  produce  any  effect  upon  them.  Capt. 
A«:wood  has  recorded  his  belief  that  the  advent  of  the  Bluefish  drove  away 
tne  plaice  or  large  fiounder  from  those  waters,  not  so  much  by  their  direct 
attacks  upon  them  as  by  destroying  the  scpiid  upon  which  the  latter  for- 
merly subsisted.  He  is  also  of  the  opinion  that  the  mackerel,  once,  fijr 
a  time,  were  affected  by  them.  The  mackerel  have  since  returned  to 
those  waters  in  their  wonted  numbers,  but  the  Bluefish  are  not  ncnv  suffi- 
ciently plenty  north  of  Cape  Cod  to  interfere  with  them.     The  flight  of  tlie 


THE  BLUE  FISH. 


•57 


mackerel  was  not  an  unmitigated  evil,  however,  since,  as  Capt.  Atwood 
Iiointed  out,  the  number  of  lolisters  ft)r  a  time  was  very  considerably 
increased.  The  mackerel  fed  upon  their  eggs,  and  when  they  were 
driven  away  by  the  Bluefish  the  lobsters  had  a  better  chance  to  multiply. 

The  Bluefish  sometimes  make  their  way  up  the  livers  to  a  considerable 
distance,  the  adults,  however,  apparently  neve)-  jntering  the  perfectly 
fresh  water.  They  arc  found  in  the  Votomac  as  fa,- north  as  Acijuia  Creek, 
and  also  far  up  the  Hudson  ;  indeed,  the  young  of  the  year  are  taken  as 
high  as  Sing  Sing  on  the  Hudson  and  in  clcer  tidal  rivers,  where  the  water 
is  entirely  fresh. 

Summing  up  all  the  evidence  in  regard  to  the  ])eriodical  ajjpear- 
ance  of  the  Lluefisb,  we  find  notice  of  its  occurrence  in  1672,  or  e\en 
1659,  and  up  to  1764.  How  long  it  existed  in  the  waters  prior  to  that 
date  cannot  now  1)e  determined,  'i'he  oral  testimony  of  Air.  I'arker  refers 
to  its  occurrence  at  Wood's  HoU  in  17S0  or  1790  ;  and  it  is  mentioned 
by  Mr.  Smith  as  being  at  Newport  in  iSoo,  and  at  l'',dgartown,  Mass., 
about  the  same  time,  by  Capt.  Pease.  Mitchill  testifies  t(j  its  occurrence 
in  New  York,  of  very  small  size,  in  iSio  ;  and  it  is  recorded  as  existing 
again  in  Nantucket  in  1820,  and  about  Woods  Moll  and  Buzzard's  Ikiy 
in  1830  to  1 83 1,  and  a  little  later  at  Hyannis.  In  1830  it  had  become 
abundant  about  Nantucket,  and  in  the  fall  of  1837  it  was  first  noticed  in 
Massachusetts  Bay,  and  then  year  by  year  it  became  more  and  more 
numerous,  until  now  it  is  very  abundant.  Several  accounts  agree  in  refer- 
ence to  the  very  large  size  (even  to  forty  or  fifty  pounds)  of  those  taken 
in  the  last  century. 

Further  research  into  ancient  records  may  tend  to  throw  more  light  on 
the  early  history  of  the  Bluefish,  and  even  materially  to  change  the  con- 
clusions already  reached.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  references  to  its 
occurrence,  from  1780  to  1800,  are  on  the  testimony  of  aged  persons  who 
have  heard  their  fathers  speak  of  it.  although  I  lind  no  jirintcd  records 
anywhere  in  reference  to  it  between  1764  and  18 10.  The  rate  of  progres- 
sion to  the  north  of  Cape  Cod  1  ]ia\e  at  present  ntj  means  of  indicating, 
although  they  i)robably  gradually  ranged  further  and  further  north,  and 
very  possibly  occurred  much  further  east  than  we  liave  any  mention  of  at 
present. 

During  the  present  century  the  maximum  of  abumlance  of  these  fish  o*'f 
the  middle  coast  of  the  United  States  appears  to  have  been  reachetl  from 


m 


158 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\% 


I 


1850  to  1860.  The  testimony  elicited  from  various  observers,  as  well  as 
from  printed  records,  indicates  a  decrease  since  that  period  much  greater 
in  some  localities  than  others.  Aljout  New  York  they  are  said  to  ha\c 
been  unusually  ])lenty  in  the  summer  of  1871,  but  farther  east  the  diminu- 
tion which  had  been  observed  in  jirevious  years  ap])cared  to  continue. 

Diligent  resparch  by  numerous  incjuirers  during  a  period  of  sixteen  years 
has  ailded  little  to  what  I'rof.  Baird  has  stated  and  it  may  lie  regarded 
as  almost  certain  that  lUuefish  do  not  spawn  in  our  inshore  waters.  'J'lie 
only  important  contribution  to  our  knowledge  on  this  sul)ject  is  found  in 
the  notes  of  Mr.  Silas  Stearns,  who  believes  that  he  has  abundant  evidence 
of  their  sjiawning  in  the  (lulf  of  Mexico.  Mis  remarks  are  (juoted  in  full 
below.  The  Hon.  Robert  B.  Roosevelt  records  that  he  observed  the  Blue- 
fish  fry  less  than  an  inch  in  length  in  the  inlet  of  Far  Rockav.ay,  X.  V., 
on  the  loth  of  July  : 

Little  is  known  of  their  reproduction.  Dr.  Yarrow  does  not  give  anv 
facts  in  regard  to  this  subject,  at  Fort  Macon,  exce])t  that  spawn  was  seen 
to  run  out  of  a  small  female  caught  July  14.  Dr.  Holbrook  is  also  silent  on 
tliis  head.  Mr.  (lenio  C.  Scott  says  the  spawning  l)eds  are  visited  bv  the 
])arent  in  June,  and  consists  of  quiet  nooks  or  bays.  Mr.  R.  B.  Roose- 
velt states  that  very  diminutive  young  occur  in  immense  luunbers  along 
the  coast  at  the  end  of  September  or  beginning  of  October  (-'(lame  ]'"ish 
of  America,"  1S62,  1859.)  Prof.  Baird  found  the  young  fish  at  ]]ees- 
ley's  I'oint,  N.  J.,  in  July,  1854,  two  or  tliree  inches  in  length,  and 
more  comjiressed  than  the  adult ;  but  farther  east,  on  Yineyard  Sound, 
although  diligent  search  was  conducted,  between  the  middle  of  June  and 
the  f  St  of  October,  with  most  efficient  apparatus  in  the  way  of  fine-meshed 
nets,  I  met  with  nothing  excepting  lish  that  made  their  appearance  all  at 
once  along  the  edge  of  the  bay  and  liarbor. 

According  to  Capt.  Edwards,  of  ^^'oods  Holl,  a  very  accurate  obser- 
ver, they  have  no  spawn  in  them  when  in  \'ineyard  Sound.  Tids  state- 
ment is  corroborated  by  Capt.  Hinckley  ;  and  Capt.  Hallett,  of  Hyannis, 
"does  not  know  where  they  spawn."  The  only  j^ositive  e\idence  on  this 
subject  is  that  of  Oapt.  Pease,  who  states  it  as  the  general  imjiression  about 
Edgartown  that  they  sjtawn  about  the  last  of  July  or  the  1st  of  August. 
He  has  seen  them  when  he  tliought  they  were  sjiawning  on  tlie  sand,  hav- 
ing caught  them  a  short  time  before,  full  of  spawn,  and  finding  them  after- 
ward for  a  time  thin   and  weak.      He   thinks  their  spawning  ground  is  on 


THE  HL  UEFISH. 


'59 


the  white  sandy  bottom  to  the  eastward  of  Martha's  Vineyard,  toward 
Muskeeget.  \\'hile  not  discrediting  tlie  statement  of  Mr.  IVase,  it  seems 
a  little  remarkable  that  so  i^tw  persons  on  the  eastern  coast  lia\e  noticed 
the  spawning  in  summer  of  the  lUudish  :  and.  although  there  may  be  exce])- 
tu)ns  to  the  fact,  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  s])awning  ground  is  in  verv 
early  spring,  or  even  in  winter,  off  New  jersey  and  1-ong  Island,  or  farther 
south.  It  is  not  imjKJSsible  that,  at  a  suitable  period  after  spawning,  tlie 
voung,    in    obedience  to  their  migratory   instinct,   mav   mo\e  northward 


ilong   the   coast,    growing   raindly  as  they  ])r()cee( 


th 


This  explains   the 


almost  sudden  ai)iiearance  of  fish  of 


live  inches  a 


bout  Wood's  HoU. 


We  have  the  statement  of  Dr.  \'arr()W  that  vast  schools  of  small    I'd 


ue- 


fish  were  met  with  in  lieaufort  harbor  during  the  last  week  in  December, 
1S71.  These  were  in  company  with  small  schools  of  \i>ung  menhaden 
and  yellow-tailed  shad,  and  were  apparently  working  their  way  toward 
the  sea  by  the  route  of  the  inlet.  When  observed,  they  were  (  oming  from 
the  southward   through    the   sound,  moving  \er\- slo\vl\-.  at    limes   neirl\- 


leaving-  it,  and   then  retiirnini 


The   largest  were    about    four    im  lus  in 


length,  and   others  were    mu(  h    smallei 


md  as    manv  as    tweiitv  schools 


were  obserxed  from  the  wharf  at  I'Orl  Macon,  each  of  them  occupying  an 
area  of  from  sixty  to  eighty  feet  s(iuare.  and  a])parently  from  four  to  six 
fvet  in  depth.  I  would  not  be  much  surprised  if  these  fish  should  proxe 
to  have  been  spawned  late  in  the  year  off  the  southern  coast. 

The  si/.e  of  the  lUuefish  varies  with  the  season  and  locality,  thoic 
spending  the  summer  on  the  southern  coast,  according  to  good  autliorit'  . 
rarely  exceeding  two  or  three  pounds  in  weight,  and  being  generally  con- 
siderably less.  The  largest  summer  sjjccimens  are  those  found  farther  to 
the  eastward,  where  they  are  not  unfrccjuently  met  with  weighing  from  ten 
to  fifteen  pounds,  although  this  latter  weight  is  (piite  unusual.  Mr.  Snow, 
of  Nantucket,   mentions    having    seen    one    of    twenty- 1 wo    jjounds.  and 


le  axeraye  size 


others  give  as  their  maximum  from  fourteen  to  twenty.  'J'l 
of  the  schools  in  Vineyard  Sound,  during  the  early  season,  is  from  five  to 
seven  pounds.  The  schools,  howe\er,  that  make  their  appearance  in 
( )ctober  embrace  many  individuals  of  from  ten  to  fifteen  ])Ounds.  It  is, 
therefore,  not  improbable  that  the  difference  between  the  first-mentioned 
average  and  the  last  represents  the  increase  by  their  summer  feeding.  As 
already  remarked,  lUuefish  in  the  last  century  sometimes  attained  a  weight 
of  forty  or  fifty  pounds  in  Vineyard  Sound  ;  according  to  Zaccheus  Macy, 
thirty  of  them  would  fill  a  barrel. 


i 


1 60 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Forest  and  S/rciim,  ]\mc  25,  1S74,  stated  that  L.  Hathaway,  Est].,  a 
veteran  fisherman,  while  fishing  from  the  bridge  at  Cohasset  Narrows, 
Mass.,  with  rod  and  reel,  captured  a  lUiiefish  weighing  twenty-live  pounds. 
The  largest  jn-eviously  taught  weighed  seventeen  pounds. 

On  getting  back  to  the  Carolina  coast  in  the  early  part  of  November,  ac- 
cording to  T)r.  Yarrow's  statement,  they  are  from  three  to  l"i\e  feet  in  length 
and  weigh  from  ten  to  twenty  jiounds.  What  becomes  of  these  large  fish, 
that  so  icw  of  them  are  seen  in  the  early  spring,  it  is  impossible  to  say. 
If  it  be  really  true  that  they  are  much  scarcer  than  in  the  tall,  we  may 
infer  that  their  increased  size  makes  them  a  more  ready  jirey  to  the  larger  fisli 
and  cetaceans,  or  tliat  they  have  accom|)lished  their  ordinary  periotl  of 
life  ;  possibl)  that  they  have  broken  up  into  smaller  i)arties,  less  conspicu- 
ous to  observation,  or  that  they  have  materially  changed  their  locality. 
The  axerage  length  of  the  fish  tliat  appear  in  the  spring  off  the  coast  of 
Virginia  and  the  southern  part  of  New  Jersey,  according  to  Dr.  Cmies, 
Dr.  Yarrow  and  Prof  I>aird,  is  about  one  foot,  being  probably  about  one 
year  old.  As  a  general  rule,  those  of  the  smaller  size  keep  close  to 
the  shore  and  can  always  be  met  with,  while  the  larger  ones  go  in  schools 
and  remain   farther  outside. 

Prof.  IJ.iinl  obtained  no  very  young  fish  at  Woods  HoU  in  1871,  the 
smallest  found  making  their  appearance  cpiite  suddenly  along  the  coast, 
especially  in  the  little  bays,  about  the  middle  of  August,  and  then 
measuring  about  ^\\c  by  one  and  one-fifth  inches.  Py  the  end  of  Septem- 
ber, howe\er,  these  had  reached  a  length  of  seven  or  eight  inches,  and  at 
the  aiic  of  about  a  vear  tliev  probablv  constitute  the  twelve  or  fourteen 
inch  fish  referred  to  as  occurring  along  the  southern  coast.  The  fish  of 
the  third  vear,  or  those  two  years  old,  are  possibly  the  three-pound  fish, 
while  the  five  to  se\en  pound  fish  may  be  consiilered  a  year  older  still. 
.Accurate  observations  are  wanting,  however,  to  determine  these  facts  ; 
as  also  whether  they  reipaire  two  years,  or  three  <)'•  more,  lo  attain  suffi- 
cient maturity  for  breeding.  .\s  far  as  I  know,  tliere  is  no  appreciable 
difference  between  the  sexes  in  their  rate  (jf  growth  or  weight,  excepting 
that  the  female  is  likely  to  be  a  little  deeper  in  the  body. 

A  liluefish  weighing  one  pound  measures  about  fourteen  inches  ;  two 
])ounds.  seventeen  inches  ;  three  ]iounds,  twenty-one  inches  ;  four  pounds, 
twenty-four  inches  ;  Wxa  pounds,  twenty-six  inches  ;  six  pounds,  twenty  ■ 
six  to  twent\-se\en  inches,  and  eight  pounds,  twenty-nine  inches. 


THE  BLUE  FISH. 


i6i 


The  Rluefisli  is  one  of  our  most  important  of  sea-fishes,  and  sur- 
passed in  public  estimation  only  by  the  Spanish  mackerel  and  the  yoxw- 
pano.  It  may  be  said  to  furnish  a  large  part  c^f  the  supply  to  the  Middle 
and  Northern  States.  It  is  a  standard  fish  in  New  York,  Boston  and  other 
seaports,  and  is  carried  in  great  numbers  into  the  interior.  Its  fiesh  is. 
very  sweet  and  savory,  but  it  does  not  kee])  very  well.  In  the  Vineyard 
Sound  the  fishermen  are  in  the  habit  of  crimping  their  fish,  or  killing 
them,  by  cutting  their  throats  in  such  a  manner  that  they  bleed  freely. 
Every  one  who  has  opportunities  for  observing  admits  that  fish  thus  treated 
are  far  superior  to  any  others,  (ireat  cpiantities  of  Bluefish  are  fro/en  in 
New  York  for  winter  consumption.  They  are  still  considered  unfit  for 
food  on  our  Southern  coast,  and  e\cn  in  the  markets  of  Washington, 
D.  C.  I  lia\c  fre(iuently  been  slopped  by  fish-dealers  who  asked  me  to 
assure  their  (  ustomers  that  Bluelish  were  e:Ual)le.  They  are  growing  in 
favor  everywhere,  however,  just  as  they  did  in  Boston.  C'ajjt.  Atwood 
tells  me  that  in  1H65  but  very  lew  were  sold  in  Boston,  and  that  the 
demand  has  been  increasing  e\er  since.  When  he  first  went  to  Boston 
with  a  load  of  BUiefisJi  lie  got  two  cents  a  pound  for  th'.'ni  ;  the  second 
year  they  were  scarcer,  and  he  got  two  and  one-half  cents,  and  the 
year  afterward  three  cents. 

Within  a  few  years  the  reputation  of  the  Bluefish  among  anglers  has 
decidedly  improved.  Norris  wrote  in  1865,  that  the  Bluefish  was  seldom 
angled  for,  and  that  it  was  not  esteemed  as  food:  in  1879,  Ilallock  ile- 
clares  that  the  Bluefish  and  the  Stri|)ed  15ass  are  the  game  fish,  ]);.r  excel- 
lence, of  the  brine,  just  as  the  salmon  and  black  bass  are  of  fresh  water. 
The  favorite  mode  of  ca[)ture  is  by  trolling  or  squidding.  a  process  already 
described.  This  amusement  is  participated  in  every  summer  by  thousands 
of  unskilled,  but  none  the  less  enthusiastic,  amateur  fisherman,  who  in  their 
sail-boats,  trail  the  tide-rips  from  Cape  May  to  Cape  Cod.  Many  jiro- 
fessional  fishermen  also  follow  this  pursuit,  especially  in  the  Vineyanl 
Sound,  about  Nantucket  and  along  the  south  shore  of  Cape  Cod,  a  region 
famous  for  its  swift  cat-boats  and  fat  liluefish. 

Another  mode  which  is  growing  in  favor  is  that  of  heaving  and  hauling 
in  the  surf,  which  has  been  already  described  in  writing  of  the  Striped 
Bass.  No  rod  is  used,  but  the  angler,  standing  on  the  beach  or  in  the 
breakers,  v/hirls  his  heavy  jig  about  his  head  and  casts  it  far  into  the  sea, 
and  having  hooked  his  fish  puts  his  shoulder  to  the  line,  and  walks  up  the 


^1  tt 


v\ 


l62 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Ii. 


(W'l  '^- 


j'l  J 


beach,  dragging  his  jirize  after  him  to  the  shore.  This  is  practiced  every- 
where on  exposed  sand  beaches,  such  as  are  found  at  Montauk,  Monomoy, 
Newport,  and  Barnegat. 

Other  anglers  prefer  to  use  a  light  rod  and  an  artificial  minnow  from  a 
stationary  skiff  near  where  Bluefish  are  breaking,  or  to  fish  with  shrimp 
bait  from  the  wharves  in  quiet  bays  where  the  young  "snappers,"  six 
to  ten  inches  in  length,  abound.  I  have  seen  this  kind  of  fishing  at 
various  points,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Florida  St.  Johns  to  Nantucket. 

The  Bluefish  has  also  an  important  rank  among  the  commercial  species. 
The  wholesale  dealers  of  New  York  city  handle  nearly  4,000,000  pounds 
annually.  The  yearly  consumption  of  Bluefish  probably  does  not  fall 
much  below  8,000,000  pounds,  valued  at  $500,000.  The  markets  are 
supi^lied,  for  the  most  part,  from  three  sources.  Large  quantities  are  taken 
in  the  weirs,  forty  or  more  in  number,  planted  on  the  northern  and 
southern  shores  of  Cape  Cod,  in  Buzzard's  Bay,  Martha's  Vineyard,  Nar- 
ragansett  Bay,  Peconic  Bay,  and  at  Block  Island.  The  yield  of  these  is 
estimated  at  1,300,000  pounds.  Gill-nets  on  the  southern  New  England 
coast  are  supposed  to  take  about  3,000,000.  Enormous  quantities  are  also 
obtained  by  line  fishermen  about  Hyannis,  Edgartown,  Nantucket,  and 
Eastham,  and  on  the  shores  of  Long  Island  and  New  Jersey. 

On  the  19th  of  vVugust,  1874,  I  saw  12,000  taken  from  the  long  pound 
on  the  west  shore  of  Block  Island. 

The  line-fishery  is  probably  not  less  productive  than  gill-netting.  In 
1875,  we  were  cruising  about  INIartha's  Vineyard  in  the  Fish  Commission 
yacht  "Mollie."  Off  Cai)e  Pogue  we  noticed  at  least  thirty  cat-boats 
drailing  for  Bluefish.  These  boats  were  about  twenty  feet  in  length, 
square-sterned  and  well  housed  over.  Each  carried  three  lines,  one  at  the 
stern  and  two  at  the  end  of  long  rods  projecting  over  each  quarter.  When 
we  anchored  at  dusk  in  Edgartown  harbor,  these  boats  were  coming  in, 
dropping  alongside  of  a  New  York  market  boat,  which  lay  at  the  wharf. 
The  bright  lantern  under  the  deck  awning,  the  black  forms  of  the  fisher- 
men, the  busy  changing  of  the  little  sails,  the  eager  voices  of  bargaining, 
gave  an  im])ression  of  brisk  trade.  The  same  scene  is  repeated  day  after 
day,  from  July  to  October,  in  scores  of  New  England  seaport  towns. 


I 


*:      .. 


Till-:  .m.uk::ui:l. 


THE  MACKEREL  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


A  rcijfiif  level  nek  runs  mit  to  sc.i, 
Anil  yriii  may  lie  <in  it  an  1  look  sheer  down 
Jvist  wliere  the  '  0;tee  of  Sunderland  '  was  lost, 
And  see  tlie  elastic  banners  of  the  dulse 
Rock  softly,  and  the  orange  star-fish  creep 
Across  the  laver,  and  the  Mackerel  shoot 
Over  and  undi.'r  it,  like  silver  boats 
Turning  at  will,  and  plying  under  water. 

Ji;as-  ]sgcu>w,  /hvf/u'fs  mil/ a  SeriiK'ii. 


'T^HE  common  Mackerel,  Scomber  scomhnis,  is  an  inhal)itant  of  the 
North  Atlantic  Ocean.  On  our  coast  its  southern  limit  is  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Cape  Hattcras  in  early  sj^ring.  'I'he  fishing  schooners  of 
New  England  find  schools  of  them  in  this  region  at  some  distance  from 
the  shore,  but  there  is  no  record  of  tlieir  having  been  taken  in  any  num- 
bers in  shoal  water  south  of  Long  Island.  A.  W .  Simpson  states  that  the 
species  has  been  observed  in  the  sounds  about  Cape  Hatteras  in  Augu^r, 
September  and  October.  R.  E.  Earll  finds  evidence  that  siragglers 
occasionally  enter  the  Chesapeake.  Along  <he  coasts  of  '\v  jsliddle  States 
and  of  New  r>ngland  Mackerel  abound  throughout  the  summer  month.>5, 
and  are  also  f(nind  in  great  numbers  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  E.'Vience,  where 
in  past  years  fishermen  of  the  United  States  congregated  in  great  numbers 
to  participate  in  their  cajjlure.  They  are  also  found  on  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  though  there  is  no  evidence  that  they  ordinarily  fretiuent  the 
M'aters  north  of  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle. 

They  appear  also  at  times  to  have  been  abundant  on  the  northeastern 
coast  of  Newfoundland,  though  their  apjiearance  there  is  quite  irregular. 
Mackerel  do  not  occur  in    Hudson's  Bay  nor  on  the  coast  of  Greenland. 


^  ;  t 


m 


M 


i 


164 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


It  sccnis  ])r()l)al)le  that  the  natural  nortlicrn  limit  cf  the  S])e(  ics  in  the 
Western  Atlantic,  is  not  far  from  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle.  Prof.  Packard, 
who  \isite(l  this  re.^ion  in  1S66.  recorded  that  a  few  Mackerel  were  taken 
in  AuLjust  in  Salmon  Bay  and  Red  Bay.  l)Ut  tliat  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle 
is  evidently  the  northern  limits  of  llie  genus,  while  Fortin,  one  of  the 
best  Canadian  authorities  on  fisheries,  in  his  annual  re|)ort  for  1S64, 
stated  that  in  summer  they  appear  in  some  places,  such  as  Little  Mecattina, 
on  the  adjoining  coast,  latitude  50' j°  north,  and  even  sometimes  enter 
the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle. 

The  Mackerel,  then,  wotdd  apjjcar  to  be  a  sliore-loving  fish,  not  ad- 
dicted to  wide  wanderings  in  the  ocean,  and  with  range  limited  in  the 
Western  Atlantic,  between  latitudes  35''  and  56*^  ;  in  the  I'^astern  Atlantic 
between  36°  and  71". 

The  migrations  of  tlie  Mackerel,  the  causes  of  their  ap|)earance  and 
disappearance  at  certain  seasons  at  different  ])oints  along  the  coast,  the 
causes  of  their  relative  abundante  and  scarcity  in  different  vears,  ha\e 
previously  been  discussed  by  numerous  writers.  The  subject  has  received 
special  attention  on  account  of  the  disputes  between  our  own  and  the 
Canadian  Crovernment  concerning  the  value  to  oin-  fishermen  of  the  right 
to  participate  in  the  mackerel  fisheries  in  the  Provincial  waters. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  amount  of  jiaper  wliich  has  been  covered 
with  theories  to  e-\])lain  the  various  mooted  (luestions,  it  cannot  be  said 
that  the  hahits  of  the  Mackerel  are  understood  at  all  better  than  those  of 
other  fishes  which  have  not  attracted  so  much  attention.  The  most  volu- 
minous writer  iqion  this  subject  has  been  Prof.  Henry  Youle  Hind,  who 
devotes  many  p^ig*-'^  of  his  book,  "The  Effect  of  the  Fishery  Clauses  of 
the  Treaty  of  Washington  on  the  Fisheries  and  Fishermen  of  British 
North  America,"  to  the  attempt  to  prove  that  the  Mackerel  which  have 
been  at  certain  seasons  in  the  past  so  abundant  in  the  (bilf  of  St.  Law- 
rence and  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  remain  there  throughout 
the  year,  hibernating  in  deep  waters  not  very  remote  from  the  shore.  I 
have  attempted  to  show  the  weakness  of  his  arguments  in  an  essay  pub- 
lished in  the  Fiftl:  Annual  Report  of  the  L'nited  States  Commissioner  of 
Fisheries  for  the  year  1877,  pp.  50-70.  It  is  by  no  means  demonstrated 
that  certain  schools  of  ]\Lackerel  do  not  remain  throughout  the  year  ia 
waters  adjacent  to  the  coast  of  Canada,  but  the  weight  of  evidence  at 
present  seems  :o  rest  with  those  who  believe  that  the  Mackerel  are  given 


THE  MACKEREL  AXD  ITS  ALLIES. 


.65 


to  extensi^ve  migrations  north  and  south  alon^'  our  coasts.  TIicso  migra- 
tions arc  believed  to  l)e  carried  on  in  connection  with  anotlier  kind  of 
migration  wliich  I  have  called  "bathic  migration."  and  whi(  h  consists  in 
a  movement,  at  the  approach  of  cold  weather,  into  the  dee|)er  waters  of 
the  ocean.  The  menhaden  and  many  other  fishes  have  these  two  kinds 
of  migrations,  littoral  and  bathic.  The  sea-herring,  on  the  uihcr  hand, 
has  extensive  littoral  migrations  and  probably  very  slight  mo\ements  of  a 
bathic  nature.  In  some  the  latter  is  most  extended,  in  others  the  former. 
Anadromous  fishes,  like  the  shad  and  the  alewife,  very  ]n)bably  strike 
directly  out  to  sea  without  ranging  to  any  great  degree  northward  or  south- 
"ward,  while  others,  of  wliich  the  Mackerel  is  a  fair  type,  undoubtedly 
make  great  coastwise  migrations,  though  their  bathic  migrations  may, 
vithout  any  great  inconsistency,  be  as  great  as  those  which  range   less. 

Ui)on  this  i)oint  I  cannot  do  better  than  to  (juote  from  a  manus(  ript 
letter  from  Prof.  Haird  to  the  Hon.  Hamilton  Fish,  Secrerary  of  State, 
dated  July  21,  1873.  Having  ex])ressed  certain  views  concerning  the 
well-known  i)henomenon  of  the  migration  of  the  herring  and  slnul.  he 
•continues  : 

"  The  fish  of  the  Mackerel  familv  form  a  marked  exception  to  this  rule. 
"While  the  alewife  and  shad  generally  swim  low  in  the  water,  their  pres- 
ence not  being  indicated  at  the  surface,  the  Mackerel  swim  near  the  sur- 
face, sometimes  far  out  to  sea.  and  their  movements  can  be  readily  followed. 
The  North  American  species  consist  of  fish  which  as  certainly,  for  tlie 
most  jiart  at  least,  have  a  migration  along  our  coast  northward  in  s])ring 
and  southward  in  autumn,  as  do  the  throngs  of  pleasure-seekers,  and  their 
habit  of  schooling  on  the  surface  of  the  water  enables  us  to  determine 
this  fact  with  great  precision.  Whatever  maybe  the  theories  of  others  on 
the  subject,  the  American  mackerel-fislier  knows  ])erfectly  well  that  in  the 
s])ring  he  may  find  the  schools  of  Mac:kerel  off  Cape  Henry,  and  that  he 
can  follow  tliem  nortliward  dav  bv  dav  as  thev  move  in  countless  mvriads 
on  to  the  coasts  of  Maine  and  Nova  Scotia." 

The  mo\ements  of  the  mackerel  schools,  like  those  of  the  menhaden, 
aii]v.'ar  to  be  regulated  solely  by  the  temperature  of  the  ocean. 

In  my  essay  upon  menhaden,  which  has  just  been  referred  to.  I  have 
attempted  to  show,  in  a  preliminary  way,  the  relations  of  the  movements 
of  the  menhaden  schools  to  the  temperature  of  the  water  at  different 
stations  along  the  coast  in  accordance  with  certain  crude  observations, 
Avhich  at  present  constitute  the  only  material  available  as  a  basis  of  such 


^1 


I! 


II 


nil 


1 66 


AMERICAN  FISIfES. 


generalizations.  I  liave  there  claimed  that  menhaden  make  their  ajjpear- 
ance  near  the  shore  in  the  spring  as  soon  as  the  temperature  of  the  water 
in  the  harbors  has  reached  a  weekly  average  of  50°,  and  that  they  dis- 
appear in  the  fall  soon  after  the  wvters  have  again  cooled  down  to  the 
same  average  temi^erature. 

The  Mackerel  are  partial  to  muth  cohler  w;uers.  They  range  ten  to 
fifteen  degrees  farther  to  the  north,  and  their  southern  limit  is  propor- 
tionally high.  They  appear  earlier  in  the  spring  and  disappear  later  in 
the  fall,  and  their  presence  is  nearly  synchronous  with  the  time  when  the 
■water  temperatures  of  the  harbor  have  reached  a  weekly  average  of  45°. 
It  has  been  remarked  that  the  presence  of  the  menhaden  depemls  upon 
a  weekly  average  of  the  harbor  temperature  of  50°  or  more.  These  harbor 
temperatures  are  several*  degrees — it  is  not  known  exactly  how  many — 
higher  than  those  of  the  open  ocean  at  the  same  latitude,  and  there  can 
be  no  question  that  the  menhaden  thrives  in  water  as  cold  as  45°. 
Mackerel  wdl  remain  active  and  contented  in  a  temperature  of  40°,  or 
even  less.  The  normal  time  of  the  departure  of  Mackerel  from  the  coast 
is,  therefore,  a  month  or  two  later  than  that  of  the  menhaden. 

There  are  well  recorded  instances  of  tiie  capture  of  menhaden  in  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  as  late  as  December,  and  there  are  also  many  instances  where 
Mackerel  have  been  taken  not  only  on  the  New  England  ccast,  but  also 
in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  in  midwinter. 

Casing  their  arguments  upon  s:.^h  occurrences  as  these,  Canadian 
writers  have  attempted  to  prove  that  large  bodies  of  Mackerel  hibernate 
along  their  shores  in  the  winter  months.  It  is  still  believed  by  many 
fishermen  that  the  Mackerel,  at  the  approach  of  cold  weather,  go  down 
into  the  mud  and  there  remain  in  a  state  of  torpidity  until  the  approach 
of  warm  weather  in  spring.  All  that  can  be  said  regarding  this  theory  is 
that,  although  we  do  not  know  enough  about  the  subject  to  pronounce 
this  impossible,  American  ichthyologists  think  they  know  enough  to  be  of 
the  opinion  that  it  is  very  decidedly  improbable. 

The  appearance  of  the  mackerel  schools  at  the  appearance  of  summer  in 
ordinary  years  has  been  noticed  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
following  dates  :  At  sea,  off  Cape  Hatteras,  ]March  20  to  April  25  ;  off 
Norfolk,  Va.,  March  2  to  April  30;  off  the  Capes  of  Delaware,  April  15 
to  May  I  ;  off  Barnegat  and  Sandy  Hook,  May  5  to  May  25,  and  at  the 
same  date  along  the  whole  southern   coast   of  New  England,  and  as  far 


THE  .yrACKF.REL  AXD  ITS  A f  LIES. 


167 


castas  Southern   Nova   Scotia,  whiK-    in    the   Ciiilfdf  St.  T,a\vr(.iuo   thfy 
appear  late  in  May,  and  in  abundanc  e  early  in  June. 

There  appears  to  be  a  uiarki'd  differente  between  tlu'  ui(i\einents  of 
Ma(  keri'l  and  the  menhaden,  t'or  while  the  nKiihadcn  are  inu(  h  more 
gradual  in  their  apjiroac  h  to  the  shore,  and  much  nmre  dependent  iipcn 
a  small  rise  of  temperature,  the  Mackerel  make  their  appearance  almost 
simultaneously  in  all  the  waters  iVom  New  jersey  to  No\  a  Scotia  at  abi  i,t 
the  same  time.  Straj,'glers.  orcour>e,  appear  mtu  h  earlier  than  the  dates 
just  mentioned;  a  few  Mackerel  were  observed  at  \\'a(iUoit,  Mass.,  as 
early  as  April  19,  1S71. 

In  the  fall  the  Mackerel  disappear  as  suddenly  as  they  came  in  tlie 
spring,  but  they  have  only  in  one  instaiu  e  been  observed  olT  the  Carolina 
coast,  exeept  during  the  sprinr;  run.  I'his  is  verv  [unliably  because  no 
fishing  vessels  ever  visit  this  region  later  than  June. 

The  very  vagueness  of  the  statements  ju.st  nuule  is  sufiicient  to  slmw 
how  little  is  aclually  known  about  the  movements  of  these  I'lsh.  The 
subject  must  bt  studied  long  and  carefully  before  it  can  be  understood, 
and  the  interests  of  the  American  l"ishermen  demaiul  that  it  should  be 
thus  studied 

The  Maci. erel  belongs  to  what  may  technically  be  termed  pelagic  or 
wandering  fish,  as  their  movements,  something  like  those  of  the  herring, 
are  api)arently  more  or  less  capricit)us,  though  probably  governeil  by  some 
definite  law,  which  has  not  yet  been  worked  out.  It  moves  in  large  s(  hools 
c)r  bands,  more  or  less  isolated  from  each  other,  which  sometimes  swim 
near  the  surface  and  give  tlistinct  evidence  of  their  [iresence,  and  at  others 
sink  down  into  the  dei)ths  of  the  ocean  and  are  entirely  withdrawn  from 
observation.  The  iirmy  of  fish,  however,  moves  along  with  a  very  broad 
front,  a  portion  coming  so  close  t(;  the  shore  as  to  be  taken  in  the  weirs 
and  traps  along  the  ccxist  of  the  Middle  States,  espiecially  in  \'ineyard 
Sound  and  on  Cape  Cod  ;  while  at  the  same  time  other  schools  are  met 
with  from  twenty  to  fifty  miles,  or  even  more,  out  to  sea.  It  is,  however, 
still  a  question  whether  the  fish  that  skirt  the  coast  of  the  United  States 
enter  the  Bay  of  St.  Lawrence,  or  whether  the  latter  belong  to  another 
series,  coming  directly  from  the  deep  seas  off  the  NewfouniUand  and 
Nova  Scotia  coast.  Until  lately  the  former  has  been  the  generally 
accepted  theory,  in  view  of  the  alleged  fact  that  the  fishermen  of  the 
Nova  Scotia  coast  always  take  the  fish  coming  from  the  west  in  the  sjjring 
and  from  the  east  in  the  fall.    . 


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IM/:A'/C.l\  / /.S7//;.V. 


('.lilt.  Il;iii-.iin  I'l.  |((V<  V',  of  Swill's  1>1. 111(1.  Me. ,  dill' of  till'  lll()^.t  i.'\|iirt 
:iii«l  ()l)sii\  in:;  in:i(  km  1  I'l^lurincii  of  Niw  Mn^'laml,  thinks  lli;'l  tlu-  inovo- 
nifiits  of  the  s|iiin.Lr  si  liooK  of  M.u  krn  1  arc  vrry  iiiui  h  iiilliuiK  ctl  l>y  the 
ilirci  tioii  .iml  fon  <•  of  ihc  |ir''\  ailini,'  winds  wliilc  tlu-  fish  arc  iHTfonniiii,' 
their  iioilhi  il\ miration.  Ilr  has  j,'iiuTally  foiiiul.  lie  >a\s.  that  \\\\v\\ 
thiTc  has  lntn  a  (oiitimiam c  of  strmiL,'  iiorthiily  winds  about  tlic  hist  of 
Mav  and  «  arlv  in  jmu'.  thr  season  at  whic  h  thi-  Ma(  kcrcl  are  passing,'  the 
slioals  of  NaiitiK  kit  and  ( leoi-e's  IJaiik.  tlie  si  hools  lia\c  taken  a  southerly 
trai  k.  passiiiL,'  to  the  southward  of  ( leor^e's  Slioals  and  (  oiiiiiiuiiiL;  on  in 
an  t'astirlv  direi  lion  to  the  i  oast  of  No\a  Si  ,)tia.  and  tlieix  e  to  the  llulf 
of  St.    I.awreiii  e. 

When  soiit!urI\-  wind,  or  i  alms  i.re\ail  at  that  season  tho  Mac  ken  1  arc 
tarried  into  the  watt  rs  of  ilu'  ( iulf  of  Maine,  and  in  roiiseiiueme  arc  niiich 
jilciiticr  off  the  Niw  I.n-land  •  oast  than  in  the  St.   l.awnnic  Oult". 

( )ii  this  tlieor\-  ("apt.  jnyic  hasi's  his  actions  in  <  ruisin,:,^  for  Mackerel. 
alwa\s  I'lr.hiiif,'  off  the  New  I'.iiudaiid  shores  when  soiitlicrl\  winds  have 
])rcdoniiiiatcd  in  the  sprint;,  and  .uoiiiu'  to  the  St.  l.awrciKe  if  northerly 
winds  ha.H'  hciii  c\(  cptioiially  stroiit,'  and  (oiuinucs  ahont  tho  last  of 
May. 

'I'lu'  ino\  ciiK  iits  of  the  fish,  as  alrividy  stated,  season  hy  season,  are 
([iiitc  urn  ertain.  soinctimes  Ipeinu'  Ncry  aluindant  in  one  dinxlion  and 
sohutiims  in  another,  and  oi  <  asionally.  indeed,  tlu'y  mav  clisapinar 
almost  ciitirelv  lor  se\i'ral  \cars,  sulisei|U(.  ntly  reaiipearin;,'  after  a  (nn- 
sideraMe  alisciite.  in  some  \ears  the  fish  arc  \erv  ahundant  on  the  <  oast 
of  the  rnitcd  Sl.ites,  and  at  others  rare  ;  the  same  condition  ai)i)lyin,i;  to 
tlu'  fish  of  the  li.iy  of  St.  I.awrcnie.  It  is  not  (iTtain.  of  course,  that  this 
indica.tt's  an  entire  ahsentc  of  the  fish  f:ii:.i  the  loc.dity  referred  to.  but 
tlicv  iii.iv.  ]iossi'iil\,  for  some  rcisoii.  nniain  in  the  de|i!h  of  the  sea,  or 
some  (  han.uc  in  the  <  haracter  of  the  animal  lite  in  it.  whii  h  <  oiistitiites 
the  food  of  the  l"ish.  may  produi  e  the  i  haiiLjcs  referri'd  to.  A  notable 
inslame  of  a  somewhat  permanent  change  in  the  migration  of  the  Mat  k- 
crel  is  found  in  the  entire  lailiire  since  1876  of  the  mat  kerel  llshery  in 
the  Uav  of  I'lindy.  wliii  h,  a  tew  years  ago,  enabled  a  merchant  of  Ilast- 
jiort  to  emjih  y  stu  1  essl"ully  as  many  as  a  dozen  vessels.  es])ecially  in  liigby 
and  St.  Marv's  ll.iv,  but  which  is  now  abandoneil.  There  are  indeed 
faint  suggestions,  in  the  early  history  of  the  country,  of  their  total  absence 
from  the  whole  ( oast  tor  sexcral  \ears,  as  was  also  the  tasewith  tiie 
bliiefish. 


THK  MACKEREL  AXD  ITS  A  I.I.I  IS. 


169 


Tlic  wondL-rful  abundance  of  Mackerel  in  the  Wotern  Atlantic  has 
always  been  a  siibjett  of  remark.  I'rancis  Higginson.  in  liis  •'Journal  of 
his  X'oya^'e  to  New  l'',ni,'lan(i.  i6j(;."  speaks  of  seeing  ••many  schools  of 
Mackerel,  infinite  multitudes  on  tverv  side  of  oiM-shi|>."  off  Cape  Ann  on 
the  26th  of  June  :  and  Ki(  liard  Mather,  in  iiis  journal.  16^5.  states 
tiiat  the  seamen  took  abundance  of  Ma(  kerel  olT  Menhit;,:,Mn  (Monheiran). 
In  (lov.Winthrop's  journal,  sjieakinL?  of  the  year  1639.  he  remarks  :  *•  There 
was  siK  ii  a  store  of  exceedin.ir  larire  and  fat  Mat  kerel  upon  our  ( oast  this 
season  as  was  a  },'ri'at  benelit  to  all  our  I'lantations.  siiK  e  one  lloat  with 
three  men  would  take  in  a  week  ten  hoj^sheads,  which  were  sold  at  Con- 
net  ti(Ut  for  ^,'3  I  2s.  od.  jier  hoLT^head." 

Their  abundaiu  e  has  varied  greatly  from  year  to  year  and  at  times  their 
nundiers  have  been  so  few  that  },'rave  ajjprehensions  have  been  felt  lest 
they  should  socin  depart  altogetlier. 

As  earlv  as  1670.  laws  were  passed  by  the  colonv  of  Massat  husetts  for- 
bidiliiiL;  the  use  of  certain  in>triunents  of  cajiture.  and  similar  ordinaiK  es 
ha\i'  been  passed  from  time  to  time  ever  sini  e.  The  first  resource  of  oiu' 
State  governments  has  always  been,  in  seasons  of  scarcity,  to  attem])t  to 
restore  lish  to  their  former  abundance  by  protective  legislation.  It  seems 
to  us  at  tile  present  day  absurb  that  the  Massa(  husetts  i)eo])le  should  have 
sup])osed  that  the  use  of  shore-seines  was  exterminating  the  Mai  kerel  on 
the  coast  of  Massachusetts,  but  it  is  a  fair  (piestion  whether  their  ajipre- 
hensions  were  not  ;;s  well  grounded  as  those  of  legislators  of  the  present 
<entury  who  have  endeavtjreil  to  ap])1y  a  similar  remedy  for  a  similar  evil. 
In  t>he  author's  writings  upon  •' The  Mackerel  Fishery"  published  else- 
where, is  shown  a  diagram,  whic  li,  by  means  of  curves,  exhibits  the  catch 
of  Mackerel  in  Xew  England  for  a  perioil  of  seventy-five  years. 

From  a  study  of  this  it  seems  (piite  evident  that  the  periods  of  their 
abundance  and  scarcity  have  alternated  with  each  other  without  reference 
to  overfishing  or  any  other  causes  which  we  are  prepared  to  umlerstand. 
In  the  year  3''^3.54'^ '_•  barrels  of  Ma(  kerel  were  (aught  by  tlie  (  ili/ens  of 
Massachusetts.  In  iSSi  the  nund)er  of  barrels  salted  was  269.495  ;  to 
this,  however,  should  be  added  125.000  barrels  (aught  and  marketed 
fresh  by  the  Massachusetts  fieet,  making  an  aggregate  of  394.495  barrels. 

The  stories  which  are  told  by  exjterienced  fishermen  of  the  immense 
nimibers  of  Mackerel  sometimes  seen  are  almost  incredible,  ("apt.  King 
Harding,  of  Swampscott,  Mass.,  described  to  me  a  school  which  he  saw 


li 


S  i 


170 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


ill  the  South  C'haniK'l  ill  1S4.S:  '•  It  w;is  a  windrow  of  I'lsli."  said  lie  ;  "it 
was  about  half  a  mile  wide  and  at  least  twenty  miles  loni;.  for  vessels  not 
ill  sight  ot' ea(  h  other  .>a\v  it  at  about  the  same  time.  All  the  \essels  out 
saw  this  s(  hool  the  same  day."'  lie  saw  a  school  olT  liloc  k  Island,  J'S;;. 
which  he  estimated  to  contain  one  million  barrels.  He  could  see  oidy 
one  ed^je  of  it  at  a  time. 

U|)on  the  abundanie  of  Mai  kerel  depends  the  welfare  of  many  thousands 
of  the  citi/ens  of  Massachusetts  and  Maine.  The  success  of  tlie  mackerel 
fishery  is  muc  h  more  unc  ertain  than  that  of  the  cod  fishery,  for  instanc  e. 
for  the  su|i]il\-  of  i od  is  ([iiite  uniform  from  year  to  year.  'The  prospects 
of  eac  h  season  are  eagerlv  di^c  ussed  from  week  to  week  in  thousands  of 
little  c  ire  les  aloiiL,'  the  coast,  and  are  chronicled  by  the  local  jness.  'The 
storv  of  each  successful  trip  is  p'assed  from  nicjuth  to  mouth,  and  is  a 
matter  of  j^eneral  congratulation  in  each  llshing  ccnnmunity.  A  review  of 
the  results  of  tlie  American  mackerel  fishery,  and  of  the  movements  of  the 
fish  in  eac  h  part  of  the  season,  would  be  an  imi)ortant  contribution  tcj  the 
literature  of  the  American  fisheries. 

The  fi)od  of  the  Mackerel  consists,  for  the  most  jiart,  of  small  s])ecies 
of  c  rustaceans,  whic  h  abouncl  everywhere  in  the  sea,  aiicl  which  they 
ajipear  to  follow  in  their  migrations.  They  also  feed  upon  the  spawn  of 
other  fishes  aiicl  upon  the  spawn  of  lobsters,  and  prey  greedily  upon  young 
fish  of  all  kinds.  In  the  stomach  of  a  "Tinker"  Mackerel,  taken  in 
l''isher"s  Island  Sound,  November  7,  1S77,  Dr.  Bean  fi)uncl  the  remains 
of  six  kinclsof  li^lies — of  the  anchovy,  sand-lants,  the  smelt,  the  hake,  the 
barracuda  and  the  silver-sides,  besides  numerous  shrimps  and  other  crusta- 
ceans. C'apt.  Atwood  states  that  when  large  enough  they  devour  greedily 
large  numbers  of  young  herring  several  months  old.  Specimens  taken 
Julv  iS.  1S71,  twenty  miles  south  of  Xoman's  Lanil,  contained  numerous 
siiecimens  of  the  big-eved  shrimps,  Tltysanopmia,  larval  crabs  in  the  zoea 
and  megalops  stages,  the  young  of  hermit  crabs,  the  young  lady  crabs, 
rhitvoiiichus  <>i(-//iifiis.  the  young  of  two  undetermined  Macrura,  numer- 
ous C'opepoda  and  numerous  specimens  of  Spii-ia/is  Goii/Jii,  a  species  of 
I'teropod.  Thev  also  leed  upon  the  centers  of  lloating  jelly-fishes  (dis- 
tophores).      In  (laspe   the    fishermen    call   jelly-fishes    "  mackerel   bait." 

The  greed  with  whic  h  Mackerel  feed  upon  the  chum,  or  ground  men- 
haden bait,  which  is  thrown  out  to  them  by  the  fishing  vessels,  shows  that 
they  are  not  at  all  daiiitv  in  their  diet,  and  will  swallow  without  hesitation 
anv  kincl  of  lloating  organic  matter. 


Tin:  MACKI.REL  AND  ITS  AIL/f.S. 


Large  Miu  kcrd  often  eat  smaller  ones.  Capt.  Collins  has  rre(iuently 
found  voung  Mackerel  three  or  four  in<  lies  Ioult  in  the  stomachs  of  those 
full  ;,M-o\vn.  This  is  generally  noticeaMe  onh'  in  the  fall,  and  the  young 
lish  are  probably  those  \vhi(  h  have  been  hati  lied  in  the  spring. 

In  the  fall  of  1.S74  the  writer  made  a  trip  ui)on  a  gill-net  schooner  to 
t!ie  grounds  off  j'ortland,  Me.,  some  distaiK  e  to  sea,  for  the  purpose  of 
studying  the  food  of  the  Ma(  kertl,  and  found  their  stomachs  full  of  a 
species  of  77iysiiti(^/^0(/(i  and  of  a  large  coj.epod  crustacean.  'I'he  greater 
part  of  the  food  of  Mac  kerel  consists,  however,  of  minute  crustaceans. 
()wing  to  the  infinite  abundaiK  e  of  these  in  the  sea,  Mackerel  jirobably 
ha\e  \ery  little  difticulty  in  liiiding  food  at  almost  any  ]iortion  of  the 
ocean  visited  by  them,  whether  on  the  edge  of  the  (lulf  Stream  or  near 
the  shore. 

In  an  interview  with  ('apt.  King  Harding,  of  Swampscott,  one  of  the 
mo^t  experienced  niackenl  c  ate  hers  on  our  c:oast,  I  obtained  the  follow- 
inL,--  amusing  obser\ations  :  '•  lie  desc  ribed  one  kind  of  crustacean  Mac  k- 
erel  food  whic  h  looked  like  spiders,  wliic  h  were  red.  and  crawled  o\er  his 
hand  when  he  took  them  \\\i.  'i'liey  look  like  sjuders  ;  the  Mackerel  are 
csi)ecially  fond  of  them.  At  ISoone  Island,  Me.,  in  July,  1S50,  the  water 
all  around  the  island  was  red  for  one  hundred  yards  from  the  shore  ;  th.ese 
crawled  up  the  rock-weed  on  the  shore  until  it  was  red.  He  took  the 
sprays  of  ri)ck-weed  in  his  hands  ancl  pulled  them  slowly  to  him,  and  the 
Mackerel,  one  ancl  a  half  ]iouncl  fish,  wcjuld  fcjUow  in  quite  to  the  roc  ks. 
He  killed  three  with  his  oar,  and  tried  to  catch  some  in  a  basket  by  troll- 
ing them  o\er  it,  but  tliey  were  too  quick  for  him.  He  asked  his  old 
skipper,  ('apt.  (lorham  IJabson,  what  they  were,  and  was  told  that  they 
were  "Boone  Island  bedbugs."  And,  said  he,  "Young  man,  when  you 
see  this  kind  of  bait,  no  matter  if  you  don't  see  any  fish,  never  leave;  the 
fish  will  be  there  in  a  few  days." 

'I'hen  there  is  another  kind,  called  "snappers."  These  are  white,  and 
dart  rapidly  about  in  the  water;  they  are  doul)tless  small  crustaceans. 
He  says  that  sometimes  they  swim  at  the  surtace,  where  the  Mackerel  fi)l- 
low  them.  A  few  days  before  he  had  been  standing  on  the  stern  of  his 
vessel,  and  though  he  coulcl  see  nothing  under  the  water  Iv.'  knew  the 
snappers  were  there  about  two  feet  below  the  surface,  for  he  could  see  a 
school  of  Mackerel  swimming  along,  opening  their  mouths  and  taking  in 
their  food,  and  then  letting  the  water  out  through  their  gills. 


i  I 


172 


AMERJCAX  FISHES. 


Wlicn  the  Ma(  kcrcl  arc  trolk'd  u])  from  twelve  or  llflccii  fathoms  below 
the  surface  their  stomachs  arc  often  full  of  bait;  so  it  is  certain  that  these 
little  animals  swim  at  all  depths. 

Another  kind  of  food  is  red,  and  is  hot  tu  the  hands.  This  is  called 
'•  Cayenne  ;"    and  it  sj.oils  the  fish. 

Years  ago,  according  to  Capt.  Harding,  Mackerel  did  not  school  as 
ihev  do  now. 

When  you  sec  pollock  jumping  near  the  shore,  it  is  a  pretty  good  sign 
lliat  there  is  ])lcnty  of  mackerel  food. 

Tile  presence  of  abundan<  e  of  mackerel  food  is  indicated  by  the  great 
SI  hools  of  sea-birds,  ])articularly  by  the  flocks  of  phalaropes,  or  sea-geese, 
as  the  fishermen  call  them,  which  congregate  together,  floating  ujion  the 
Avater,  and  when  seen  in  summer  give  a  sure  sign  of  the  jirescnce  of 
Mackerel  also. 

The  \arious  invertebrate  animals  preyed  ui)on  by  Mackerel  are  known 
to  the  fishermen  by  such  names  as  "shrimp,"  "red-seed"  and 
"  Cayenne." 

The  winged  jjteropods  very  jirobably  form  an  important  ])art  of  the 
mackerel  food,  as  they  sink  and  rise  with  changes  of  the  temperature  of 
the  zone  or  sheet  of  water  in  which  they  are  feeding. 

Although  little  is  actually  known  concerning  the  spawning  habits  of  the 
Mackerel  compared  with  those  of  fish  which,  like  the  shad  and  the  salmon, 
have  been  artificially  propagated,  it  is  perhaps  safe  to  say  that  the  subject 
is  understood  in  a  general  way.  The  testimony  of  reliable  observers 
among  the  fishermen  of  our  coast  and  the  coast  of  the  British  Provinces 
indicates  that  the  spawning  takes  place  in  rather  deep  water  along  the 
shore  from  the  eastern  end  of  Long  Island  to  Eastport,  Me.,  along  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  in  the  Culf  of  St.  Lawrence.  The  spawning 
season  occurs  in  May  in  Southern  New  England,  in  May  and  June  in 
Massachusetts  Bay,  and  in  June  in  the  Culf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  on  the 
Bradley  Banks  and  about  the  INLigdalenes  early  in  the  month,  and  accord- 
ing to  Hind,  on  the  northeast  coast  of  Newfoundland  toward  the  end  of 
the  month. 

We  are  indebted  to  Capt.  N.  E.  Atwood  for  the  most  complete  series 
of  observations  upon  the  spawning  of  the  Mackerel  Avhich  has  ever  been 
made,  and  what  he  has  seen  he  shall  be  allowed  to  tell  in  his  own 
"vords : 


77/yr  .VACKERiu.  Axn  rrs  Af.i.n-s. 


•'  T  lia\f  many  seasons  bucn  i'ii.uM.i;rtl  in  ti^hiiif,^  for  >ra(  ki-U'l  in  mir  li,i\ 
with  gill-ni'ts.  I  wad  lud  the  Matkcrcl  niurc  particularly  in  rr,uar<l  to 
tlicir  time  for  spawninj;.  In  1S56,  owini;  to  \\\v  fa(  t  that  a  nuMsuri'  iiad 
l)assc(l  the  Massachnsi'tts  Ui;i>latnre  aiitliori/inj;  the  appointment  of  three 
commissioners  to  make  in\e^ti-ations  with  ri'Ljanl  to  the  artifn  ial  propaga- 
tion of  the  iisli,  and  tliat  I  e\pi'(  teil  to  he  named  one  of  the  (onnnissioiurs. 
1  went  to  the  Tijiper  jiart  of  Mas^ai  hii>etts  hav.  where  it  is  about  t\venl\- 
miles  broad.  an<l  I  found  the-.e  si)a\\ninL;  Nbu  kerel  tlu-re  near  the  bottom. 
This  year  the  Mackerid  eaine  in  about  the  middle  of  May  ;  few  at  fir>t. 
On  the  -'cth  J  went  out  for  the  lir>t  time  with  m\- drift in:,^ nets  all  ni-ht  in 
the  bay  ;  1  caught  2,250  Mackerel;  on  the  followin.L;  I  <  aiiLiht  .^.5:0. 
^^'hen  I  first  be.yan  to  cat(  h  them  1  observed  that  the  sjjawn  had  < onie  to 
its  lull  si/e,  thou.uh  it  was  not  free  to  run  from  tluan.  not  beini,^  yet  fully 
matm-ed.  On  or  about  the  i->t  of  juni'  wt-  found  that  some  of  them  wi're 
depositint;  sjiawn,  and  as  1  took  them  from  the  nets  the  sjiawn  ran  freely. 
On  the  5th  of  Jime  J  took  the  mature  eu:!4S  as  they  came  from  the  ll^h  and 
jiut  them  in  aholiol.  marking  the  daU',  as  I  considered  this  time  the 
middle  of  the  spawnini^  sea>on.  (I'.y  the  loth  of  June  the  fish  had  all 
ilejiosited  their  spawn,  and  tlu'\  then  |jro(  leded  to  the  ,L;roimds  where  thev 
e\]iected  to  meet  with  better  food  in  order  to  fatten  and  re<  ruit.  'Ihe 
spawninsj;  takes  ]ilace  at  a  depth  of  from  fi\e  to  fifteen  fathoms.)  'I'hirty 
days  after  1  went  out  in  the  bay  and  found  anv  cpiantitv  of  schools  of  little 
Mac  kerel  whic  h  were,  1  shouhl  think,  about  two  inc  lies  long,  though  their 
length  might  ha\e  been  a  little  less.  1  took  a  number  of  spec  imens  ancl 
])tit  them  in  alcohol,  marking  the  date.  Twenty-fue  days  later  1  jiro- 
cured  another  lot  of  them  whic  h  had  grown  to  double  that  si/e.  I  don't 
mean  to  imply  that  they  were  twic  e  as  long,  but  twic  e  as  hea\  y.  J  put 
them  also  in  alcohol,  marking  the  date.  'I'he  first  time  1  subsecpienlly 
went  to  I'oston  1  called  on  I'rof.  Agassiz  and  gave  him  the  specimens. 
lie  said  that  he  had  never  before  been  able  to  ascertain  these  fatts  so 
clearly  and  so  well,  and  that  he  Mas  very  muc  h  jileased  with  them.  1 
watched  the  growth  of  these  joung  Mac  kerel  all  along,  ancl  I  saw  them 
grow  considerably  from  month  to  month,  so  much  so  that  the  same  fall, 
in  the  latter  ])art  of  October,  1  caught  some  of  them  with  a  very  small 
mesh  net  and  found  they  had  grown  to  a  length  of  si\  ancl  a  half  or  seven 
inches.  1  kept  a  small  c|uaiuily  of  them,  sjilit,  salted  and  pac  ked  them, 
in  accordance witli  the  Massachusetts  inspection  law,  as  No.  4's,  ancl  since 
Mackerel  were  then  scarce  and  \ery  high  in  price,  1  sold  them  lor  as  much 
as  $6  a  barrel." 

"  Much  yet  remains  to  be  learned  in  regard  to  the  spawning  season  of 
the  American  Mackerel,"  writes  I'rof.  ]5aird,  "and  little  more  is  known 
of  this  except  in  regard  to  the  luiropean  variety.  It  is,  however,  well 
established  by  the  researches  of  Sars  that  this  fish,  like  the  cod,  and  many 


174 


AMERICAN  F J  SUES. 


of  the  ll;it  t'isli,  ct(  .,  sjiawns  in  tlic  open  sea.  some  times  at  a  threat  dis- 
tance from  the  land,  at  otliers  (loser  inshore."  Sars  found  tlu'm  on  the 
outer  banks  of  the  ( oast  of  Norway  ;  and  Mr.  Matthias  Hunn.  of  Me\agis- 
sey,  I'JiLjhind,  < ommiinii  ates  to  Land  and  Il'a/rr  his  obscr\ations  of 
Mackerel  found,  with  ri])e  spawn,  six  miles  from  the  coast. 

'I'he  fish  taken  in  the  weirs  and  ])oun(ls  on  \'ineyard  Sound  and  about 
Cape  Coil  in  the  early  spring  are  filled  with  ripe  spawn;  and  that  the 
operation  of  s])a\vning  takes  place  on  the  American  (oast  is  shown  bv  the 
immense  scIkwiIs  of  small  fish  that  are  taken  throughout  the  summer,  of 
various  sizes,  from  a  few  inches  up,  and  Irom  ]?uzzard's  I'.ay  to  J'ortland 
and  i*enobs( ot  IJay.  No  species  of  young  fish  is,  at  times,  more  al)iindant 
throughout  the  summer  season  than  the  Mackerel. 

'I'he  egg  of  the  Mackerel  is  exceedingly  minute,  not  larger  than  that  of 
the  alewife  or  gas])ereau.  It  ai)pears  to  be  free  from  an  adhesive  enwlope, 
such  as  ]»ertains  to  the  egg  of  the  lierring,  and  in  c<)nse(|uence  of  which  it 
agglutinates  together,  and  adheres  to  gravel,  tlie  ro(  ks  or  the  seaweed  at 
the  bottom.  As  with  the  egg  of  the  cod,  that  of  the  Mackerel  is  jirovided 
with  an  oil  globule,  which  makes  it  float  nearly  at  the  level  of  the  surface. 

I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Frederick  W.  True  for  an  enumeration  of  the  eugs 
in  two  Mackerel  taken  at  Wood's  Holl,  Mass.,  in  May,  iHy^^;  one  of 
these  contained  363,107,  the  other  393,887. 

The  only  i)revious  record  of  the  numl)er  of  eggs  yielded  by  Mackerel  is 
that  made  by  Thomas  Ilarmer,  in  1764,  and  i)ublished  in  the  "  i'hiloso- 
]ihical  'JVansactions  "  of  J,(jndon,  Vol.  57,  \).  285.  He  found  in  one 
large  Mackerel,  weighing  one  and  a  (juarter  ])ounds,  454,991  eggs;  in  a 
.second,  of  miu  h  the  same  weight,  430,846,  and  in  a  third,  weighing  about 
one  pound  two  ounces,  546,681. 

The  growth  of  the  Mackerel  has  been  studied  by  Cai)t.  Atwood, 
and  the  same  authority  has,  perhaps,  more  satisfactorily  than  anv  other, 
interpreted  the  facts  from  which  may  be  deduced  the  conclusions  as  to 
their  growth  year  by  year. 

Referring  to  the  small  fish,  six  and  a  half  or  seven  in  length,  which  he 
believed  to  be  the  yomig  of  the  year,  caught  by  him  in  October,  1856,  he 
says:  "Fish  of  this  size  are  sometimes  called  *  .S])ikes,'  out  I  do  not 
know  their  ]iroi)er  name.  The  next  year  I  think  they  are  the  '  IMinks.' 
being  one  year  old;  the  following  year  they  are  the  'Tinkers,'  two 
years  old,  ami  the  year  after  they  return  to  us  as  the  second  size,  three 


THE  MACKllKIJ.  AXP  IIS  ALLJJ.S. 


»75 


\x';irs  olil.  It  is  prolialilc  tli.it  the  fi^h  iwu  lus  its  full  iiKituiil\  in  t'nur 
years."  lie  ( oiitintii's  :  •■'I'Ik'  I'lot  Mac  kiTel  that  ((iiiR-  in  arc  \rry  lar^f 
and  spawiUTs.  Imt  tlu'sc  do  not  liitc  at  tlu'  honk  :  and  \oii  don't  (  .it(  h 
tluin  with  the  srine.  ]ii'(aii>r  thrv  don't  >ho\v  tluiiiseh  r^.  \'ou  woiild  not 
know  of  their  presence  if  joii  did  not  set  iilIs  for  them.  \\'lun  tluy  ire 
taken  in  nets  set  anywhere  along  the  ccia-vt,  at  I'ro\  ircetown.  etc  ..  a  goocl 
nian\-  people  imagine  that  tliey  are  the  remnant  of  the  Mac  ken  1  whic  h 
were  there  tlie  \ear  jiefore.  aiicl  which  lia\e  heen  inilncldiil  in  the  iiiiicl  ; 
aiicl  when  they  taste  tliese  fi.sh  they  fane  \- that  tlie\-  taste  iniicl.  When  the 
next  school  arrixes  there  appear  Mac  ki'nl  of  cliffereiit  si/e>.  which  take 
the  hook.  They  are  c  .irriecl  to  I'.o^ton  market  and  are  >-olcl  t're>h  in  their 
season.  They  are  not  sold  hy  weight,  hut  are  culled,  ancl  are  denominatetl 
as  follows:  Large  one.s.  second  si/e.  'Tinkers,'  ancl  •lUinks.'  ^\■hen 
the  large  ones  are  worth  twelve  c  ents,  the  others  niav  sell,  sec oiicl  size, 
eight  cents  ;  Tinkers,  t'oiir  cents,  ancl  lilinks,  one  ancl  a  half  cents.  These 
jirices  may  line  tnate  when  there  oc  cur?>  a  large  jiroportion  of  one  or  more 
of  the  above-named  kinds  at  the  same  time.  Any  m.m  who  i>  well  ac  - 
(piaintecl  with  them  will  make  the  Name  c.  tilling,  as  there  seems  to  he  a 
line  of  demarcation  between  the  different  kinds  which  staiicls  out 
l)rominently. 

•'  Admitting  this  to  be  the  fact,  those  that  <  (Miie  as  lilinks  are  from  the 
spawn  of  the  year  bet'ore,  while  those  which  are  called  •  Tinkers  '  arc 
from  the  lilinks  of  the  vear  ])revious,  being  the  two-year-old  t'lsh  ;  and 
those  that  are  <  ailed  second  si/e  are  from  the  Tinkers  of  the  year  before; 
when  they  grow  n])  ancl  mix  with  the  bigger  ones,  I  don't  know  how  they 
live,  or  much  about  them.  This  is  mv  opinion  about  these  matters,  Vou 
will  find  that  fishermen  will  tell  you  they  think  that  Mackerel  are  six  or 
seven  years  in  getting  their  growth." 

Mackerel,  when  full  grown,  are  from  seventeen  to  eighteen  inches  in 
length;  sometimes  they  attain  a  larger  size.  In  August,  1 8So.  a  school 
of  Mackerel  was  taken  in  the  \icinity  of  I'lymouth  ;  they  weighed  from 
three  to  three  and  a  half  pounds  each,  and  were  from  nineteen  to  nineteen 
and  a  half  inches  long.  They  were  regarded  as  extraordinary  large,  and 
;.  barrel  of  them  were  sent  to  the  Fishery  ICxhibition  at  Berlin  as  an  illus- 
tration of  the  jierfection  to  which  the  Mackerel  attains  in  this  country. 
Although  the  size  mentioned  is  unusual  at  j)resent,  in  past  years  many 
thousands  of  barrels  have  been  taken   nearly,  if  not  cpiite.  as  large.      The 


! 


1:6 


.i.]//:h'/(\i\  //s/f/.s. 


si/r\;iiirs  t'loin  yv.w  tn  \Tar,  sdiiutimrs  \  lt\  Ifw  Ikiiti'Is  \vlii(  h  •  ;m  lio 
iMti.(l  ill  Ni).  I's  la'iii,:,'  tiiund  in  mir  \\;iuis.  A  No.  i  Mackerel.  iKiord- 
iiij,'  to  tlir  Mas^^iu  liiisftts  ins|)c(  tidii  laws.  iiKasun's  tliirtL'i'ii  IikIks  fidin 
tlu'  tip  I'f  the  siioiit  to  tlu'  (  rot<  h  or  toik  of  the  (  aii(hil  I'm.  'I'hc  average 
Kii,Ljth  from  year  to  war  lor  the  whole  < oast  is  ]irolial)ly  not  far  from 
twehe  iiii  Ins  in  lengtli.  and  a  weight  of  twelve  to  sixteen  oMiices. 

The  gamut  is  one  of  tiie  most  distrut  ti\e  enemies  of  the  Ma<  kerel. 
These  hirds  are  often  sii'ii  so  lua\ily  weighted  with  these  fish  that  ihev 
AW  iin.diie  tti  ri>e  on  the  approai  h  of  tlie  \essel  nntil  tlu'v  have  disgorged 
from  two  to  iniir  good-si/(.(l  .Mackerel.  This  is  so  < ommon  an  occurreiKe 
that  there  are  Imt  fiw  fishermen  who  lia\e  nf)t  witnesseil  it. 

i'lirpoises  and  whales  may  also  he  iiu  hided  in  the  list  of  enemies  of  the 
.Mai  kird.  It  is  hy  110  nuMiis  an  iinusual  sight  on  the  fishing  grounds  to 
see  hundri'ds  of  the  former  rushing  and  leading  among  sihools  of  Mac  k- 
inl,  s(  altering  lluin  in  e\ery  dire<  tiou. 

I'he  shark  known  to  fisliermen  as  the  "  mackerel  shark  "  is  one  of  the 
priiK  ipal  t'liemies  of  the  Mackeri'l.  I  have  often  seen  them  (  hasing 
.Mac  kerel.  ami.  when  jigging  was  ]iracticed,  it  was  a  (  ommon  occurrence 
for  sharks  to  dri\e  off  a  school  from  alongside  of  a  \essel. 

1  >ogfish  ofti-n  hoxcr  around  the  outside  of  large  schools  of  .\rackerel, 
and  doiihtless  feed  on  them.  (Ireat  difficulty  is  sometimes  experienced  in 
sa\  ing  fish  that  lia\e  been  inclosed  in  a  ])ursc-seine,  owing  to  the  immense 
numbers  of  dogfish  that  gather  around  and,  in  their  efforts  to  eat  the 
Mackeri  1,  whic  h  they  see  through  the  meshes,  bite  off  the  twine,  making 
large  holes  in  the  seine  through  wliicdi  the  inclosed  fish  escape. 

.\mong  the  other  ])rinc  i]ial  enemies  of  the  Mackerel  are  the  bluefish, 
and  the  cod.  The  apjjearance  of  a  school  of  liluefish  in  waters  crowded 
with    Mac  kerel    is   an    ;;lmost    sure    signal    for   their  disajjpearance. 

The  voung  Mackerel  are  eaten  by  scpiidsalso.  Prof.  \'errill  has  recorded 
the  following  account  of  the  maneuvers  of  the  scpiid  known  to  zoologists 
bv  the  name  Omiiiastriplics  illcccbrosus  : 

'•  Messrs.  S.  1.  Smith  and  Oscar  I  larger  observed  it  at  Provincctown, 
Mass.,  among  the  whar\es,  in  large  nmnbers,  July  28,  engaged  in  ca])tur- 
ing  and  devouring  the  young  Mackerel,  whicli  were  swimming  about  in 
'  schools.'  and  at  that  time  were  about  four  or  five  inches  long.  In  attack- 
ing the  Mackerel  they  would  suddenly  dart  backward  among  the  fish  M-ith 
the  velocity  of  an  arrow  and  suddenly  turn  oblic^uely  to  the  right  or  left 


Till'.    M.HKl:Ri:i.   AM)   ITS  JlfJl-S. 


>77 


and  sci/c  a  ^l^ll.  whic  li  was  almost  iiisiaiiily  kilK'd  h\  a  Uw  in  iIk-  1m.  k 
(.f  the  neck  with  the  sliarp  hcaks.  The  l.itew.is  .ilwavs  niadi-  in  the  same 
lihuf,  cutting'  out  a  trianj.jular  \>'wiy.-  ot"  ilr-h.  and  uaMlii].  cni>iii,'h  to  pene- 
trate to  thi-  spinal  cord.  'I'he  attai  ks  were  not  always  snci  es><l"iil,  .uid 
were  sonietinies  repeated  a  do/en  times  lielore  one  of  tiuse  a(ti\eand 
wary  li^hes  conld  l'e<aii-ht.  Sometimes  atur  making  several  nnsiK  (  essfiil 
attempts  oiH'of  the  s.|uids  wnuM  Middiidy  drop  to  the  bottom,  and,  resting 
upon  tlu-  sand,  would  (  han-e  its  ((.lor  to  that  of  the  sand  so  perfec  tly  as 
to  lie  almost  invisilile.  In  this  way  it  would  wait  nntil  the  fislus  came 
1  ,i(  k,  and  when  tluy  were  swimming  <  lose  to  or  over  the  amliiis(  ade.  the 
>  |iii(l,  liy  a  sudden  dart,  would  he  pretty  sure  to  se(  ure  a  tisli.  Ordinarilv 
when  swimming  they  were  thi(  kly  sjioit'ed  wi;h  red  and  I.rown,  I.iit  when 
darting  among  the  Ma(  kerel  theyapp(ared  trandu(  ent  and  pale.  The 
.Ma(  kerel,  however,  seemed  to  ha\e  learned  that  the  shallow  water  is  the 
safest  for  them  and  would  hug  the  shore  as  (  IomIv  as  jjossihle,  so  that  in 
l>iiisuing  them  many  of  the  s(|in'(ls  1k(  ame  stranded  and  jierislu'd  hy  hun- 
dreds, for  when  they  oik  e  tou(  h  the  shoir  they  hegin  to  pumj)  water  from 
their  siphons  with  great  energy,  and  this  usually  f(.r(  es  them  farther  and 
farther  u|.  the  l'ia(  h.  At  su(  h  times  theyofti'n  dis(  harge  their  ink  in 
large  (piantities.  'I'he  altac  ks  on  the  young  .\(a(  kerel  were  observed  mostly 
at  or  near  high  water,  for  at  other  times  "the  Ma(  kerel  were  seldom  seen, 
though  the  s(|ni(ls  were  seen  swimming  about  at  all  hours;  and  these 
aitai  ks  were  ol)ser\e(l  both  in  the  day  and  esenin,-." 

The  dog-fish  is  doubtless  a  dangerous  (oe  to  the  Mac  kerel  weakened  bv 
the  a(  t  of  sjiawning  and  remaining  mar  the  bottom.  An  old  fisherman 
has  described  to  me  with  great  animation  how  greedily  the  dogfish  devour 
the  Ma(  kerel  which  have  become  gill.d  in  the  nets,  how  thev  follow  them 
to  the  surface  and  linger  about  the  vessel  while  the  pr(jcess  of  (leaning  is 
going  on,  drinking  the  blood  of  the  fish  as  it  Hows  from  the  s(ii|.pers. 

The  Chub  Mackerel,  Si-om/ur  co/his,  or.  as  it  is  (ailed,  the  "'i'himble- 
eye,"  •' ]5ig-eyed  Mackerel,"  or  "  IJuIl  Ma(  kerel."  dosely  resembles  in 
general  appearance  the  common  Mackerel,  fr(Mn  whi(  h  it  is  distinguished 
(  hielly  by  the  presence  of  an  air-bladder,  and  also  by  the  o<  (  urren(  e  of  a 
row  of  indistinct  circular  spots  upon  the  sides  below  the  lateral  line.  Thi.s 
is  the  fish  which  is  called  "  Spanish  Mackerel  "  in  Ilngland,  and  the  name 
was  brought  to  us  by  the  early  Kngli.sh  fishermen  of  N\w  i:ngland.  It 
has  been  found  at  Pensacohi  and  Charleston,  as  well  as  in  New  England. 
There  is  another  fish  clo.sely  related  if  not  identical  with  .V.  fo/nis,  whi(  h 
Trof.  Jordan  found  to  be  abundant  in  California,  whi(  h  corresponds  to 
the  .V.  piu-timaiophonis  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  has  been  described  from 


f 


17S 


AMKKic.w  iisirr.s. 


I 


llic  I';i(  ilM  i\s  S.  i//(Xi'.  I'll  if,  jiMil.m  (  Kiisiilcrs  it  l<>  ]>v  the  .S',  ,(,w.v  nf  \  .iri- 
ous  aiitlu)rs.  Imt  w  litis  iIkU  Ik-  is  not  \it  jiRparctl  t«)  acct'])!  as  CukiI  the 
jiiduimnt  (pf  Sttinthu  hiuT  ami  \'.iillant  tliat  it  is  the  young  of  .V.  co/iiis. 
'I'hc  lower  half  ot"  its  sides  is  siKiiy  and  witiimit  any  gray  s]iots.  mk  h  as 
are  consiiiciiotis  in  .V.  co/ias.  Jordan  has  i-iiec  imens  of  the  unspotted  form 
nuH  h  larger  than  his  smallest  spef  inuns  of  liie  true  S,  colias. 


11:  (IK  II  .MA'Ki:i!KI.. 


'J'he  history  of  tlie  Chub  Ma(  kerel  on  our  roast  is  a  pernliar  one.  At 
the  beginning  of  tlie  present  century  it  was  exceedingly  abundant  all  along 
the  coast  of  New  England  and  New  York.  Milchill  remarked  that 
it  "  comes  occasionally  in  jirodigious  numbers  to  the  coast  of  New  ^■ork 
in  autumn.  This  was  memorably  the  ( ase  in  17S1  and  1S13,  when  the 
bays,  creeks  and  coves  were  literally  alive  with  them,  and  the  markets 
full  of  them." 

DeKay  states  that  in  early  November,  1S2.S,  they  were  very  abundant, 
and  many  persons  were  jjoisoned  by  eating  them. 

Cai)t.  Kpes  W.  Merchant,  of  (Gloucester,  a  veteran  fishing  skipper,  who 
has  been  familiar  with  the  fisheries  of  Massachusetts  Hay  for  the  jiast 
seventy  years,  told  me  that  the  Thimble-cye  were  so  abundant  from  1S14 
to  1820  that  with  three  men  and  a  boy  and  a  small  vessel  he  could  catch 
ten  barrels  of  them,  or  about  three  thousand  fish,  in  a  day. 

From  these  testimonies  it  would  ajipear  that  between  1S40  and  1S50 
the  species,  formerly  so  abundant,  had  disappeared  along  the  whole  coast 
line.  In  an  essay  by  the  writer,  written  in  the  spring  of  1879,  this  sen- 
tence occurs:  "For  ten  years  past  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  with  its 
collectors  stationed  at  various  points  from  Halifax  to  (lalveston,  has  tried 
in  vain  to  secure  one  of  them,  and  it  is  probable  that  no  museum  in  the 
world  possesses  a  species  of  this  fish,  once  so  common." 


////    .M.\{-KI  Nl  /.   A.\n  IIS  M  i.ir.s. 


•79 


111  till'  siiintiu  r  'S  r>7<).  Iihwcvit.  diiriiiu  thi'  --iMy  nf  tlic  I'i -li  ('umiiiis- 
.'■idii  ;it  l'ri)\  ini  c'tiiw  II,  ,i  <  cdi^idirMlilo  s(  lioul  df  tlicM'  I'l-h  i  aiuf  into  the 
li.'riior  and  wi-n-  t.ikiii  in  <  inniiany  with  tlu'  Tinkir  Mai  ki-ii  1.  N.mo 
We're  oliMivi'il  thiTi'  in  iNSo,  howi'Vir,  and  it  rtinain>>  tn  In'  sirii  wluihi  r 
t!u\  liavr  ntnriud  In  In-  aLi.iin  c  tiiintnl  ainnn,:,'  the  iiiTinamnl  nuinlicrs  of 
ihr  r.iuiia.  This  I'lsh.  diiriii;,'  the  |nriiiil(,r  its  aliun<lan<  c  on  diir  (nasi. 
was « oMsidfri'il  an  cxcflK'nt  arti<  Ic  nt"  toixl.  and  was  by  many  iii\tVncd  to 
thf  comnion  Mat  kiTil.  ( )n  actoiii.t  ot'its  small  si/t'.  lunvi'vcr.  it  wa>.  not 
so  nine  h  s(iiij,dit  al'trr  liy  the  l'i>luTmrn. 

( 'nm  crning  thr  Mac  ki'irl  ot'tlic  l'a(  il'K  roast,  wliii  h  I'lot".  Joid.in  <on- 
siihrs  to  lie  ideiitii  al  with  the  SiCinhtr  f'lhtinuitof'hoi  lis  ot"  the  l^asti  in 
Atlantir,  this  authority  wiitis  : 

•'The  Tinker  Mackerel.  S.  f'liiiiiihitopiii'rns,  is  known  as  'Mackerel.' 
'liaster  Mackerel,'  'Tinker  Mackerel'  ancl  •  Little  Mac  kenl.'  it  je.ic  hes 
a  ienj^th  ofaliout  lourteen  inc  lies.  It  raises  iiorthwarcl  to  Mcmteri')'  I'av. 
a|i|icarini,'  in  the  fall  in  irrei^'ular  and  ofieii  larue  sc  iiools,  usually  clisa]i 
I'earin,i,f  in  N'ovemlier.  Some  years  lew  or  none  are  si'eii.  It  is  a  t^'ood 
t'oocl-fisli,  liut  little  attention  is  p.ucl  to  it.  on  .ic  c  oiint  of  its  small  si/e  ancl 
irreLTiilar  oc  c  iirreiue." 

The  Mackerel  is  the  prim  ipal  rival  of  the  c  ocl  in  the  claim  for  highest 
rank  among  the  food-fishes  of  North  America.  Many  thousands  of  nun 
ancl  many  hundreds  of  vessels  are  emiiloyed  in  their  capture,  and  their 
migrations  in  whic  h  they  are  followed  by  lleets  of  swift  schooners,  are  the 
subject  of  annual  discussion  in  the  halls  of  Congress,  and  the  disputes  of 
tlie  sailor-fishermen  of  Canada  and  New  Ilngland  have  long  been  made  the 
subject  of  treaty  and  international  convention. 

The  statistics  and  methods  of  the  commercial  fisheries  have  been  fiillv 
discussed  in  a  volume  entitled  "Materials  for  a  History  of  the  Ma(  kenl 
I'ishery,"  ))rei)ared  by  Messrs.  Goode,  Collins,  ICarll  and  Clarke  and  printed 
by  the  L'.  S.  Fish  Commission  in  1S.S3,  and  will  be  but  brielly  alluded  to 
here.  It  seems  jiroper,  however,  to  refer  to  the  history  of  the  various  modes 
of  capture  employed  by  our  fishermen. 

The  method  chietly  practiceil  by  the  colonists  of  New  I'lngland  was  that 
of  drag-seining,  and  we  find  as  early  as  1626  a  record  of  the  establish- 
ment, by  Isaac  Allerton.  of  a  fishing  station  at  Hull,  where  mackerel  were 
seined  by  moon-light.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  practice  of 
fishing    with   baited   hooks  were  also  early   introtlnced,  and   that   in   the 


V 


i:  o 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


SL'VLntcrntli  and  uinlUcdith    cciUurics   grniips   of  l)oats   niii^lu    liavo   been 
SL'  n,  as  at  (he  ijrcscnt  dav,  clustered  together  in  tlie  harbors,  or  near  the 


o;;ter  shores,  tlieir  (  rews  busilv  enLia^ed   in    haiibny    in    the    tinkers. 


ap.( 


o((  asiona 


ih',  larm'r  nuu  kerel,  which  ibirinL^  the  summer  season  ft)und  their 


a\'  into  tliose  ]irotected  waters. 


It   is  not   known   wlien   the  custom  ot" 
aib;[,f  for  mackerel  was  first  introduced,  but  it  was,  beyond  question,  the 
(ommon  method  at  the  close  of  the  last  and  the  betrinninLr  of  the  present 


(ir 


(  entur}-.    as    it   is   in   tlie  present   day   in    J'.ngland,  under   sucli   names   as 
■•whifting,"  ••railiiii;,"  ''drailin^r"  or  "  plummeting." 

Captain  Atwood  wites  :  "In  my  boyhood,  when  I  caught  my  llr^t 
mackerel,  nobody  thought  of  jigging  them.  We  then  took  them  in  the 
sMme  way  as  bluefish  are  caught.  My  first  experience  in  mackerel  fishing 
took  ])lace  when  I  was  a  little  boy,  about  1S15.  I  went  out  with  two  old 
men.  One  of  them  fished  in  the  stern  of  the  boat,  and  when  it  did  not 
sail  fast  enough  the  other  and  myself — I  was  eight  years  old  at  the 
tixie — had  to  row,  in  order,  by  t'.ie  more  rapid  motion  of  the  boat,  to 
induce  the  fisii  to  l>ite.  They  would  not  bite  unless  the  line  was  towed. 
'l"wo  irreat  long  ])oles  were  run  out,  one  just  forward,  in  such  a  manner 
that  our  vessel  had  the  appearance  of  a  long-armed  s])ider.  The  poles 
were  straight,  and  one  line  was  fastened  at  one  part,  and  another  line  on 
the  end  of  the  pole,  in  oroer  to  have  them  sejiarated." 

"  The  present  mode  of  catching  mackerel  by  drifting  and  tolling  with 
bait  did  not  come  into  general  use  until  1S12.  The  gear  for  catching, 
1  revious  to  that,  was  a  white  hempen  bob-linv,  as  it  was  called,  and  the 
st_\le  of  fishing  was  called  '  bobbing  '  mackerel.  These  lines  were  some 
seven  fathoms  in  length,  with  a  leaden  sinker  two  inches  long  and  shaped 
like  a  jiea-jiod.  At  one  enil  was  a  ganging  aliout  a  foot  long,  for  the 
hook.  Every  few  minutes  off  would  go  the  hook,  and  extra  hooks  were 
always  in  readiness  to  replace  those  lost.  T'lis  mode  continued  until  the 
year  1S16,  when  Abraham  Luivey,  of  I'igeon  Cove,  discovered  a  method 
of  running  lead  around  the  hooks,  and  which  were  afterward  called  jigs. 
This  he  kept  secret  for  many  months.  'l"he  hooks  then  in  use  were  nearly 
as  large  as  the  haddock  hooks  of  to-day.  The  small  lines  and  fly-lines 
did  not  come  into  use  until  about  1823.  About  this  time  the  gaff  was 
iiUroduced,  and  was  abandoned  after  being  used  some  ten  years.* 


*'riie  in.ickercl  gafT  \v.^s  used  to  some  extent,  by  the  hook  ami  line  llshernien,  as  late  as  1865,  .ihd  possibly 
even  since  that  time. 


THE  MACKEREL  AXD  ITS  ALLIES. 


I  Si 


TIk'  mackerel  fislicrv  at  the  time  of  its  liit^liest  developement,  from  1S20 
to  i<S7o,  was  carried  on  almost  exclusively  l)y  the  use  of  little  hooks  with 
heavily  weighted  shanks,  known  as  ''mackerel  jigs."  b'or  many  years 
there  were  from  six-hundred  to  nine-hundred  vessels,  <hiellv  from  Cape 
( 'od  and  northward,  engaged  in  this  fishery:  and  in  the  \ear  iS^^i  the 
total  amount  of  mac  keiel  sailed  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Mass;ii  hu- 
:  ettes  was  450.000  barrels. 

The  jig  has  now  been  almost  entirely  superseded  by  the  purse-seine,  and 
this  radit  al  change  in  the  method  t)f  catching  mackerel  has  caused  the 
<!esertion,  by  the  mackerel  lleet,  of  the  dulf  of  St.  J,awrence,  and  the 
pra(  !i<al  futilitv — to  benefit  otu'  fishermen — of  the  fisherv  clauses  of  tiie 
TreatN'  of  \\'ashington.  All  attempts,  with  \erv  few  exceptions,  to  use 
the  i)urse-seine  in  tlie  (iulf  of  St.  Lawrence  liaxe  b^'cn  failures. 

Tlie  j)urse-seine  has  come  into  general  use  since  1850,  and  with  its  in- 
troduction the  methods  of  the  mackerel  fishery  have  been  totally 
re\olutionized.  The  most  extensive  changes,  however,  have  taken  i)lace 
since  1S70,  for  it  is  oidy  during  the  last  ten  years  that  the  use  of  the 
l)urse-seine  has  been  at  all  universal.  As  late  as  1S73  and  iS74a  few  \es- 
sels  liave  fished  with  the  old  ajiparatus  in  the  (iulf  of  St.  J-awrence,  an<l 
also  a  few  on  the  coast  of  New  I'lngland.  Such  changes  in  tlie  manner  of 
fishing  for  mackerel  have  l)rought  about  also  a  change  in  the  fishing 
Lrrounds.  Vessels  fishing  in  the  old  st\le  were  most  successful  in  the  Ciulf 
of  St  Lawrence,  but  the  jiurse-seine  can  he  used  to  very  much  better 
advantage  along  our  own  shores  between  C'ajie  llatteras  and  the  Hay  of 
bund)-. 

Considerable  (juantities  of  Mackerel  are  sometimes  caught  in  gill-nets 
at  various  points  along  the  New  ICngland  coast  from  \'ineyard  Sound  to 
I'lastport.  b'or  the  most  part,  however,  they  are  taken  west  of  Mount 
Desert.  This  fishery  is  carried  on  in  two  ways  ;  The  gill-nets  maybe 
anc  hored  and  let't  out  o\er  night,  as  is  the  custom  about  I'rovincetown. 
or  thev  mav  be  set  from  a  iioat  or  vessel.  The  latter  method  is  calk'd 
"dragging:"  the  vessels  aie  called  "draggers,"  or  "  drag-boats,"  and 
the  fishermen  "mackerel  draggers."  The  ]\Lickerel  gill-nets  are  20  to  ,50 
fathoms  long,  2  '  j  fathoms  deep,  with  a  mesh  varying  from  2  '  j  to  ,5  inc  hes. 
In  Provincetown  harbor  they  are  set  in  the  following  manner: 

Active  anil  beautiful,  strong,  hungry  and  courageous,  the  Mac  kerel 
possesses  all  the  attributes  of  a  game  fish,  anil  were  it  not  so  abundant  it 


i^ 


1; 


i 


fi 


iS: 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


would  lie  one  of  the  angler's  ])rinic  flivoritcs.  Sonic  of  the  sijortsnien 
ignore  the  Mackerel,  but  Halloik.  and  Scott  arc  broad-minded  enough  to 
speak  a  word  in  its  favor.  Hallock  says  that  it  afforils  most  excellent 
sport  to  the  rod  and  uel.  "  Bass  tackle  of  the  lightest  dcscri])tion,  with 
wire  gimp  snood,  is  re(iuire(l  ;  caplin,  porgy  and  clams  arc  used  for  bait, 
and  no  tloat  is  necessary,  and  when  the  fish  are  biting  shari)ly,  the  bait 
will  be  taken  the  instant  it  touches  the  water." 
Scott  is  even  more  decided  in  his  approval. 

•'  I  look-fishing  fi)r  Mackerel,"  remarks  he  in  his  Fishing  in  American 
\Vaters,  is  very  exhilarating  sport.  A  brisk  breeze,  sky  mellowed  by  fieecy 
clouds,  gulls  swooping  and  screaming,  everything  in  excitement.  Under 
such  circumstances  and  surroundings,  it  is  not  strange  if  the  troller,  whiffer 
or  still-baiter  should  inflate  his  lungs  and  feast  his  sold  until  the  waning 
sun  warns  him  to  desist  and  retire.  Ivxcellcnt  sport  is  sometimes  to  be 
had  by  rowing  or  sculling  a  boat  into  a  thick  shoal  and  trolling  for  them 
with  feathered  s(|uiti,  or  twirling  sjioon  or  casting  to  them  a  white  artifi- 
cial fiy." 

And  then — when  the  Mackerel  is  caught — trout,  bass  and  sheepsheatl 
cannot  \an(|uish  Iiim  in  a  gastromonic  tournament.  In  Holland,  to  be 
sure,  the  Mackerel  is  not  i)ri/cd,  and  is  accused  of  tasting  like  rancid 
fish-oil,  and  in  ICngland,  even  they  arc  usually  lean  and  dry,  like  the 
wretched  skeletons  whi(  h  arc  brought  into  market  in  Aj)ril  ami  May  by 
the  southern  fleet,  wliich  goes  forth  in  the  early  spring  from  ^lassachusctts 
to  intercept  the  schools  as  they  a|)proach  the  coasts  of  Carolina  anil  Wx- 
ginia.  'i'hey  are  not  worthy  of  the  name  of  Mackerel.  Scomber  is  not 
properly  in  season  nntil  the  spawning  season  is  over,  the  schools  begin  to 
{c^(\  at  the  surface  in  the  Gulf  of  Maine  and  the  "  North  Bay." 

Just  from  the  water,  fat  enough  to  broil  in  its  own  drippings,  or  slightly 
corned  in  strong  brine,  caught  at  night  and  eaten  in  the  morning,  a 
Maikerel  or  a  bluefish  is  unsurpassable.  A  well-cured  autumn  Mackerel 
is  perhaps  the  finest  of  all  salted  fish,  but  in  these  days  of  wholesale 
cai^turc  by  the  purse-seine,  hasty  dressing  and  careless  handling,  it  is  very 
ditificult  to  obtain  a  sweet  and  sound  salt  Mackerel.  Salt  Mackerel  may 
be  boiled  as  well  as  broiled,  and  a  fresh  Mackerel  may  be  cooked  in  the 
same  manner.  Americans  will  usually  prefer  to  do  without  the  sauce  of 
fennel  and  gooseberry  which  transatlantic  cooks  recommend.  Fresh  and 
salt,  fat  and  lean,  new  or  stale.  Mackerel  arc  consumed  by  Americans  in 


TifE  yrACKi'.Riw.  jxn  rrs  allies. 


iS 


immense  (juantities,  as  the  statistics  sliow.  and  wliatever  their  state,  always 
find  ready  sale. 

The  mackerel  fishery  is  peculiarly  American,  aiul  its  history  is  lull  ol 
romance.  No  finer  vessels  fioat  than  the  American  mackerel  schooners — 
yachts  of  great  spce<l  and  unsurl)as^.ed  tor  seaworthiness.  The  modern 
instruments  of  capture  are  marvels  of  in\enti\e  skill,  and  rei[uire  the 
highest  degree  of  energy  and  intelligeiK  e  on  the  part  of  the  fishermen. 
'I'he  crews  of  the  mackerel  schooners  are  still  for  the  most  part  Americans 
of  the  old  colonial  stock,  although  tlie  (od  and  halibut  fisheries  are  to  a 
great  extent  given  up  to  foreigners.  It  is  particularly  a])pro]iriate  that 
the  mackerel  fishermen  of  New  Mngland  should  ha\e  fiiund  a  bard  in  one 
who  is  abo\e  all  others  the  ]ioet  of  old  Xew  I'.ngland.  ^\'hittier's  '•  Song 
of  the  Fishermen  "  celebrates  the  days  in  the  early  jiart  of  the  century 
when  our  fleet  went  yearly  to  the  (lulfcf  St.  Lawrence  and  the  coast  of 
Labrador  : 

Wiiere  in  mist  the  rock  is  liidiu.i;, 

And  the  siiarp  net"  lurks  helnw, 
And  the  white  squall  smites  in  suuuner, 

And  the  autumn  temi^sts  blow  ; 
Where  tlirou;^h  Ljray  and  rollinij^  vapor, 

From  eveiiinij;  into  mom, 
A  thousand  boats  (were)  liailiiii;-, 

Horn  answerinir  unit)  horn. 


There  we'll  drop  our  lines,  and  gather 

Old  Ocean's  treasures  in. 
Where'er  the  mottled  mackerel 

Turns  up  a  steel-dark  '^\\\, 
The  sea's  our  field  of  harvest, 

Its  scaly  tribes  our  grain  ; 
We'll  reap  the  teeming  waters 

As  at  home  they  reap  the  plain  ! 

Hurrah  I — Hurrah  I — tlu;  west-wind 

Comes  freshenin.u;  down  tiie  bay. 
The  rising  sails  are  filling, — 

Give  way,  my  lads,  give  way  ! 
Leave  the  coward  landsman  clinging 

To  the  dull  earth,  like  a  weed, — 
The  stars  of  Heaven  shall  guide  us, 

The  breath  of  Heaven  shall  speed  ! 


i , 


is  ■ 


Tin:  si'AMsii  MA(Ki;i;i.i, 


THE  SPANISH  MACKI'REL  AND  THE  CEROES. 

SiiDiicr  --liall  cats  ilisport  in  water  clear 

Ami  s|R'i"klcil  maikrcN  i;ra/c  the  iiicailnws  clear 

Tlian  1  fiT^ct  my  slieplicrds  wonteil  love. 

(j.\Y,     J\ist(iya/.s,  1714, 

Next  niorn  they  rose  ami  sot  up  every  sai' 
'J'lie  wiiiil  was  fair,  but  hlew  a  inackrel  k-iIc 

Duvni.N.      'J7if  J /;>!,/ ,,,!,/ /Iir  r.tutlu-r.  if.S?. 


'TpIiE  Spanish  Mackerel  is  surely  one  of  the  most  graceful  of  fislics.  It 
a]ii)eals  as  scarcely  any  otlier  can  to  our  love  of  heaiity,  when  we  look 
upon  it,  as  shown  in  Kilbourn's  well-known  ]>aintinLj;,  (lartin,LC  li'«-'  an 
arrow  just  shot  from  the  bow,  its  burnished  sides,  silver  fleckeil  with 
gold,  thrown  into  bold  relief  by  the  cool  green  background  of  the  ripple  1 
sea  ;  the  transi>arent  greys,  opalescent  whites  and  glossy  blacks  of  its 
trembling  I'ms,  enhance  the  metallic  s])lendor  of  its  body,  until  it  see.ns  t  > 
rival  the  most  brilliant  of  tropical  birds.  Kilbourn  made  copies  of  liis 
large  jiainting  on  the  jjcarly  linings  of  sea-shells,  and  ])rodu(  ed  some 
wonderful  effects  by  allowing  the  natural  lustre  of  the  mother-of-jieari,  to 
show  through  his  transparent  jiignients  and  simulate  tlie  brilliancy  of  tlie 
Jife-insjiired  hues  of  tl.e  (piivering,  darting  sea-sprite,  wliose  charms  ewn 
ids  jtotent  brush  could  not  properly  depict. 

It  is  a  lover  of  the  sun,  a  fish  of  tropical  nature,  which  comes  to  us 
only  in  midsummer,  and  which  disap])ears  with  the  ajiproach  of  cold,  to 
some  region  not  yet  explored  by  ichthyologists.  It  is  doubtless  very 
familiar  in  winter  to  the  inhabitants  of  some  region  adjacent  to  the  waters 
of  the  Caribbean  or  the  tropical  Atlantic,  but  until  this  place  shall  have 
been  discovered  it  is  more  satisfactory  to  sujipose  that  with  the  bhu.' fish 


THK  SPAXISir  ^^ACKKRI:L  AXD   TIfE   CEROKS. 


iS: 


and  tliL'  mackerel  it  inhaliits  that  liviiotlK'tical  winter  resort,  to  which  \vc 
semi  the  n)ii,^ratorv  fishes  whose  hahits  we  do  not  understand — the  mid- 
dle strata  of  the  ocean,  the  lloatiiiL,^  beds  of  Sargassum,  whicli  drift  hither  and 
tliither  under  the  alternate  iiromiitiuLrs  of  the  (lulf-stream  currents  and  the 
wiiiti.r  winds. 

Si\ty-two  years  a_Ljo.  "Mit(  Iiill.  in  his  "Xcw  \'ork  j-'auna  "  said  all  that 
w;;s  known  of  this  fish  in  two  >hort  ^^entences  : — •'  .\  fine  and  li^'aiitifiil  fish. 
Comes  in  July."  Seven  years  ago.  when  the  writer  was  (  ailed  u|ion  to 
l)repare  its  liioLjraphy  fir  his  •■  (lame  Fishes  of  th.e  I'nited  States."  he  was 
compelled  to  admit  that  later  naturalists  had  added  very  little  to  this 
tersely  e\pres>ed  stor\'.  The  admirable  studies  of  Marll  aiul  Stearn>  ha\e 
since  been  mad.e.  and  the  h.ibits  of  the  Spanish  Mackerel  are  now  fairly 
well  understood. 

It  is  a  member  of  the  Mackerel  funilv  and  of  the  ■j^k:\\\\<,  ScoiiibrroDionis, 
established  in  1S02  by  Lacepi-tle,  and  subseipiently  re-named  bv  Ciuier. 
Cyhiiiin.  lairopean  naturalists  still  cling  to  ("uvier's  name  for  the  genus. 
which  is  composed  of  twelve  or  more  s])ecies  inhabiting  the  warmer  \mx- 
tions  of  the  Atlantic  ami  Indian  oceans.  'I'he  species  under  disc  ussion 
was  described  by  MitchiU  under  the  name  Siomhcr  inaciilatiis.  ]"or  uearlv 
half  a  centurv  it  stood  upon  our  books  as  Cyhiiiiu  iinicit/ij/iiiii,  but  our  pro- 
gressive American  school  of  ichthyologists  now  insist  that  for  the  sake  of 
a  consistent  nomen(  lature,  we  must  catalogue  this  lovely  species  under  the 
unlovely  name  Scoiiibfroinoi-iis  iiujciilatus. 

The  Si)anish  Mackerel  is  not  the  onlv  representati\e  of  the  genus  Sci^iii- 
/'{'/-('iiionis  which  occurs  in  American  waters.  There  are  two  closely  allied 
forms  in  the  Atlantic,  which  are  gigantic  in  comparison.  In  the  (lulf 
States  they  are  called  King-fish  and  are  highly  esteemed  by  loxers  of  good 
sport  and  delicate  food.  Both  of  these  forms  have  been  oc  <  asionally  ob- 
served as  far  north  as  Cape  Cod,  and  it  is  cjuite  possil)le  tiiat  their  abun- 
dance along  our  eastern  coast  is  greater  than  is  at  iiresent  suspected.  The 
three  sjiecies  are  very  similar  in  form,  and  their  distinctive  characters  are 
of  such  a  kind  that  they  might  readily  be  overlooked  by  ordinary  observ- 
ers. It  is  my  own  opinion  that  they  are  sold  in  large  numbers  with  the 
Spanish  Mackerel,  and  under  the  i:)restige  of  its  name.  The  fish-mongers, 
the  only])ersons  likely  to  notice  the  differences,  would,  for  obvious  reasons, 
not  l)e  likely  to  call  attention  to  them. 

The  distincti\  e  characters,  though  not  obtrusive,  are  strong  and  con- 


iS6 


.•i  ME  R I  CAN  FISHES. 


st;int  and  \\v  who  (  hooscs  to  do  so  may  soon  learn  to  discriminate  between 
tlic  S|)ani>h  Mai  kerel  and  its  allies. 

'l"lu'  Spotted  ('ero.  or  Kiui,'  Cero.  ScoDihrroiiioniS  ri\ur//s.  has  seventeen 
dorsal  sjiines.  and  upon  the  front  ot'  the  tlrst  dorsal,  which  is  white,  is  a 
s]iot  of  deep  Miie,  \vhi(  h  is  ])rolonged  fur  back  upon  the  upper  edLj;eof  the 
'"n.  The  sides  are  marked  with  broken  longitudinal  bands  of  gold,  inter- 
lined with  brown  and  golden  sjiots. 

It  differs  from  A',  inaciihitiis,  \vhi(  h  also  has  seventeen  dorsal  s]iines,  in 
t!ie  form  of  its  tieth  and  in  its  coloration.  In  the  Spanisli  Mackerel  the 
teeth  are  somewhat  conical  and  \ery  ])ointed.  the  t'irst  dorsal  has  a  black 
blotch,  and  the  sjiots  upon  the  sides  are  golden  brown  nearly  circular  and 
not  arranged  in  b nd  lil;c  series. 


tin;  srorr;;;)  ci'itd. 

The  King  C'ero  is  a  magnificent  fish  which  grows  to  l)e  five  or  six  feet  in 
length  and  attains  a  weight  of  twenty  to  thirty  pountls.  It  is  abundant  in 
the  West  Indies,  and  has  been  recorded  from  Cuba,  Santo  Domingo,  Ja- 
maica, Barbadoes,  Key  West,  and  Brazil.  The  Silver  Cero,  Scombcromo- 
riis  Ciilhilla,  has  fourteen  spines  in  its  full  dorsal  fins,  which  is  immaculate 
in  color.  The  young  fish  have  the  sides  of  the  body  marked  with  indis- 
tinct spots,  circular  in  form,  and  tawny  in  color,  which  disappear  with  age  ; 
the  lateral  line  is  very  sinuous  upon  the  posterior  portion  of  the  body. 

It  is  a  ^\'est  Indian  species,  which  has  already  been  observed  at  Santo 
Domingo,  Jamaica,  Cuba,  Martinique,  Porto  Rico,  and  Brazil,  and  a  few 
specimens  have  been  captured  as  far  north  as  Wood's  HoU,  Mass.  Prof. 
Jordan  states  that  they  are  caught  with  trolling  hooks  on  nearly  every 
summer  trip  of  the  steamer  from  Savannah  to  New  York.  This  is  a  mag- 
nificent fish,  which  often  attains  the  weight  of  twenty-five  pounds.  Its 
habits  are  doubtless  like  those  of  the  Spanish  Mackerel.  The  name  Cero 
is  commonly  accepted   in  the  United  States ;  it  is  a  corruption  of  the 


THE  SPAXfSH  MACKEREL  AXD  THE   LEROES.       iSy 


Spanisli   sicrrii,   \vlii(  li    is   in  f;i(  t  tlic  name  aiiplicd  to  the  species  by  the 
Spanish  people  ot'  Mi-xico. 

Kin,^-lish.  ai  cording  to  Silas  Stearns,  are  very  abundant  in  the  southern 
part  ot"  tile  (lulf  of  Mexico,  and  are  common  in  some  localities  alon^c  the 
coa^t  of  our  (lulf  States.  They  live  at  sea  and  are  caught  by  the  use  of 
trolling-lines.  At  Key  West,  large  (piantities  are  sold  in  the  markets. 
Two  men  in  a  smab  >ail-l)oat  sometimes  cat(  h  a  hundred  or  more  in  a  day. 

I'he  Pacific  sjiecies,  Scoiubcroiiionis  coiicolor,  has  been  called  tiie  "  Mon- 
terey Mackerel."  It  attains  a  length  of  about  thirty  inches  and  a  weight 
of  about  five  or  eight  pounds.  It  has  only  been  seen  in  the  Monterey  lJa\-, 
wliere  trom  five  to  forty  individuals  are  taken  each  autumn,  most  of  them 
at  S()(|uel.  They  ajijiear  in  Sejitember  and  disai)|iear  in  Xo\endier. 
Nothing  is  known  of  their  distribution  or  habits.  They  always  command 
the  high  pri(  e  of  from  thirty  to  fifty  cents  per  jxnmd.  The  fiesh  is  simihir 
to  that  of  the  Spanish  Mackerel,  which  it  closely  resembles.  The  male  is 
silvery  blue,  without  spots,  but  the  female  has  a  tlouble  row  of  alternately 
roundish  blotches  upon  each  side. 

The  Spanish  Mai  kerel  is  a  species  smaller  and  more  delicately  fi)rnied 
than  the  others  which  occiu-  in  the  .Atlantic.  Its  normal  range,  as  now 
unilerstood,  is  from  Cape  ("od  to  the  (lulf  of  Mexico.  It  is  ])ossible,  in- 
deed probable,  as  has  already  been  suggested,  that  it  occurs  in  the  waters 
of  South  America,  though  the  statement  that  Agassi/,  recorded  it  from 
Brazil  is  based  upon  an  erroneous  reading  of  his  statement  in  his  bo(jk  on 
the  fishes  collected  by  Spix.  I'oey  had  it  from  Cuba.  Solitary  individu- 
als have  been  taken  north  of  Cape  Cod,  one  at  Provincetown  in  August, 
TS47,  one  at  Lynn  in  July,  1S41,  and  one  at  Monhegan  in  Maine.  I  am 
disposetl  to  ciuestion  the  official  statement  of  the  Canadian  fisheries  de- 
partment that  one  was  taken  at  New  London,  in  September,  1S80,  which, 
if  true,  would  extend  the  range  of  the  species  several  hundred  miles.  The 
author  of  this  report  justly  remarks  :  "It  is  rare  to  find  this  fish  in  so  high 
a  latitude. '"■■     The  identification  should  be  verified. 

Though  abundant  in  the  north-eastern  portion  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
few  individuals  have  as  yet  been  observed  off  the  east  coast  of  Florida. 

The  specie.s  also  occurs  along  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico,  and  in  great 
abundance  in  the  Gulf  of  California. 


^ 


*Siipplcment  No.  2  to  the  Eleventh  Annuul  Report  of  the  Minister  of  Marine  and  Fisheries  fur  tlie  year 
iSSo.  p.  229. 


:^ii 


1 88 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Spanish  Mackerel  visit  the  shores  of  our  Atlantic  states,  on  a  missit)n  (»f 
I'cecling  and  breeding. 

In  early  sjjring  they  appear  in  schools  off  our  southern  coast,  apjiearing 
in  the  waters  of  West  Florida  early  in  March,  or  even  in  the  latter  i)art  of 
February,  reaching  Pensacola  about  the  beginning  of  April.  Off  the 
Carolinas,  their  coming  is  a  little  later,  for  they  do  not  reach  Charleston 
Ijcfore  the  end  of  Marcli,  and  really  enter  the  sounds  of  I'andico  and 
Albemarle  until  a  month  later.  15y  the  20th  of  May,  they  are  rounding 
the  cajies  of  A'irginia,  and  the  schools  rapidly  increase  in  number  in  the 
inland  sea  of  the  Chesapeake,  imtil  the  middle  of  June,  and  their  abund- 
ance continues  through  the  summer  and  early  autumn.  In  July  and 
August  they  are  most  abundant  off  the  coasts  of  New  York  and  Southern 
New  ICngland,  where  they  remain  in  considerable  nund)ers  through  the 
early  ])art  of  September — ^just  as  they  did  in  the  days  of  Mitchill.  and.  so 
far  as  we  can  know,  in  the  seventeenth  century  when  Josselyn  described 
tlie  fishes  of  New  England. 

With  the  approach  of  the  autumnal  equinox,  their  southward  migrations 
begin.  The  first  of  October  finds  them  absent  from  the  region  north  of 
New  Jersey,  and  by  November  they  have  deserted  the  waters  of  the  United 
States,  unless  i)erchance,  a  few  may  still  remain  among  the  reefs  and 
sand-beds  of  the  Florida  Keys. 

They  are  lovers  of  warm  waters,  even  more  so  than  the  blue-fish,  for 
they  precede  in  the  fall  migration  the  schools  of  menhaden,  while  the 
blue-fish  follow  them.  Their  breeding  season  in  the  Chesapeake  occurs 
when  the  temjierature  of  the  water  ranges  from  78°  to  84°,  and  it  is 
believed  that  they  do  not  willingly  enter  water  colder  than  60° 

Tlieir  habits  are  much  like  those  of  the  blue-fish,  with  whicli  tliey  are 
iaid  to  associate.  They  are  much  more  active  in  their  movements,  and 
sjiort  and  dance  between  sky  and  water  almost  like  swallows  skimming 
over  a  lake.  No  oceanic  fishes  which  I  have  seen  are  so  admirably  built 
for  sjiringing.  Their  tails  are  muscular,  shapely,  provided  with  oar-like 
fins,  formed  like  the  crescent  moon.  Their  bodies  are  conical,  arrow-like, 
smooth  as  burnished  metal,  and  their  speed  must  be  as  matchless  as  that  of 
the  dolphins.  When  the  blue-fish  leaps,  it  is  with  more  deliberation  and 
noise,  falling  back  into  the  water  with  a  splash,  while  tie  sharp  head  of 
the  Spanish  Mackerel  cuts  the  water  like  the  stem  of  a  yacht.  Mr.  Farll 
tells  me  that  the  Chesapeake  fishermen  can  indentify  the  species  by  its 
movements  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see. 


riri:  sr.ixisir  }r.\CKi:Ni:i.  Axn  rm-  cerors.     is,; 


In  Cn'iiio  ('.  Scott's  ••  I'i^hiiiL;  in  Anu'vii  .m  \\';;trrs"  is  an  intiTcstin^^ 
little  picture  ot"  a  school  ot'Sj)ani>h  Ma(  kcrel  tVcilini;.  whii  h  is  worthv  of 
cxaiuinalion. 

liolh  I'.aiil  and  Stearns  amve  in  tlie  statement  that  this  is  a  li -h  \\hiih 
!i\es  almost  entirely  ;it  the  surlacc.  (  )n  a  (aim  liri^lit  (hi\-  in  summer,  the 
-■urta(  e  ot"  the  ( "lu'saiieakc'  or  the  (lult"ot"  Me\i( o  is  sometimes  broken  uji 
tor  miles  liy  the  movements  ot"  larue  s(  liools  ot'  these  fishes,  whiii'  the  air 
i  '  enlivened  by  the  screaming;-  llo(  ks  of  terns,  which  foUow  them,  to  Liather 
up  the  fragments  of  their  feasts.  Similar  scenes  mav  occasionally  be  wit- 
nessed off  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  and  the  C'arolinas,  but  further  to  the 
southward  their  abuiKhmce  is  less. 

The  schools  are  fre(iuently  observed  at  a  huig  <listance  from  tlu'  sliore. 
especially  when  they  are  first  ai)proaching  in  the  spring.  Mr.  I'.aril  has 
also  called  attention  to  the  fact  tiiat  they  avoid  bra(  ki^h  waters,  ami  thus 
accounts  for  their  abundance  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Chesapeake,  and 
their  comparative  absence  near  the  opposite  shores  where  the  salinity  of 
t'le  waters  is  lessened  by  the  intlow  of  the  rotonuic,  Ra]ipahannock.  the 
\'ork  and  the  James.  During  the  spawning  season  they  frequent  tl  e 
warmest  ami  shoalest  waters  to  which  they  can  gain  access. 

The  diet  of  the  Spanish  Mackerel  is  like  that  of  the  blue-fish,  entirely 
carnivorous,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  menhaden  or  moss- 
bunker  is  its  principal  (piaving.  Mackerel,  mullet,  silversides  and  all  our 
other  schooling  species  contribute  also  a  share  to  its  supjiort. 

The  breeding  habits  of  this  fish  were  never  understood  until  the  spring 
of  iS8o,  when,  to  the  astonishment  of  everyone,  it  was  found  bv  .Nfr.  Ivirll 
that  their  spawning  grounds  are  in  the  C"hesa/eake  Ikiy  and  at  other 
K)calities  on  the  middle  Atlantic  coast,  while  Mr.  Silas  Stearns,  almost 
simultaneously  discovered  a  breeding  place  in  the  (lulf  of  Mexiio.  Mr. 
I'.arll.  to  whom  science  is  indebted  for  a  most  thorough  and  comprehensive 
study  of  the  reproductive  habits  of  this  fish,  has  published  a  full  account 
of  his  observations,  and  of  his  e\i)eriments  in  jiractical  fish-culture  in  one 
of  the  annual  reports  of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,*  to  which  the  reader 
is  referred  for  detailed  statements,  since  it  is  not  the  i)ur])Ose  of  this  book 
to  enter  into  prolonged  discussions  of  such  a  character. 

^[r.  Earll  found  evidence  that  the  species  spawns  not  only  in  the  Sandy 


'll 


lyo 


AMJ'iR/CAX  /'/SJU-IS. 


I  look  ami  ClicsapL-aki-  rcf,'ioiis.  liiit   aNo  on   tlic  soiilliLrn  sliurc  of  I-oiil; 
Inland,  and  in  tliu  sounds  of  tlic  Carolinas. 

In  tlu'  Carolinas,  lu-  tidls  us.  the  spawning  siason  l)ei,dnsin  April,  in  the 
('liL'sa]icakL'  region  from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  June,  in  the  Sanil\- 
Hook  ri'gion  and  ahoiit  Long  Island,  from  the  latter  ])art  of  August  to  th( 
;":rst  of  September.  In  the  (lulf,  according  to  Stearns,  the  season  is  in 
July.  The  season  continues  in  any  given  locality  from  six  to  ten  weeks, 
and  the  s])awners,  contrar\'  to  what  o(  (  urs  in  shad,  salmon  and  white-fisli. 
re(|uire  sevt'ral  weeks  rather  than  a  few  days  only  to  deposit  their  indi- 
\idual  building  of  eggs.  A  one  pound  Sjianish  Mackerel  will  yield  about 
300.000  eggs,  a  six  pounder  scarcely  less  than  1.500.000;  the  species 
being  much  more  jirolific  than  salmon,  shad  or  white-fish,  though  less  so 
than  the  members  of  the  cod  family.  The  eggs  are  minute,  from  „',  to  ' 
of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  over  a  million  can  be  held  within  the  walls  of 
a  ([uart  measure.  'J'lieir  specific  gra\ity  is  such  that  they  will  sink  in 
fresh  water  an<l  float  in  the  sea. 

When  first  hatched,  Mackerel  is  very  small,  and  tlie  length  of  the  ini 
bryo  scarcely  exceeds  one-tenth  of  an  inch,  while  its  diameter.  e\en  with 
the  comi)arati\ely  large  yelk-sac,  is  so  small  as  to  allow  it  to  ])ass  througli 
wire-cloth  having  thirty-two  wires  to  the  inch.  ]'"or  several  hours  it 
remains  cjuiet  at  the  surface  in  an  almost  helpless  condition,  small  oil 
globule  in  the  yelk-sac  causing  it  to  lie  belly  uppermost.  Later  the  sac 
is  absorbed,  and  the  little  fish  manifests  greater  activity,  and  by  vigorous 
and  spasmodic  efforts  swim  to  the  dejith  of  an  inch  or  so  below  the  surface. 
In  a  few  hours  it  finds  no  difficulty  in  swimming  at  various  depths,  and 
begins  to  lie  ujion  the  Ixjttom  of  the  vessel,  darting  off  with  surprising 
rai)iility  when  disturbed. 

The  rate  of  growth  has  not  been  studied.  Karll  supposed  that  tlvj 
yearling  fish  are  not  more  than  six  inches  long,  and  those  of  two  years,  to 
be  the  young  fish  of  a  half-j^ound  weight,  observed  by  (ienio  C.  Scott  in 
the  Long  Island  region.  It  is  scarcely  probable  that  the  species  attain.; 
full  size  in  less  than  four  years.  The  annual  growth  of  so  voracious  a 
species  is  doubtless  considerable  after  the  first  two  years.  The  species 
sometimes  attains  the  weight  of  eight  or   nine  pounds,    though   it  rarel\- 


exceeds  three  or  four  pounds.     A  specimen  taken  oil  lllock  Island,  July  <S, 
1S74,  the  first  of  the  season,  measured    twenty-six  and  one-fourtli  inches, 
and  weighed  three  pounds  and  five  ounces.      It   is  said   to  be  the   largest 


Tin:  spAxisir  ^^.\cKI:Rr.I.  .i.vn  rin'  ci:roi:s.     i,,i 


cv'.'-  taken  in  this  si'ction.  and  was  a  fcnialc  with  thc(>\ary  spiiit.  In  the 
(lulf  States,  atconlin^j  ti)  Mr.  Stiarns.  tlic  Spani^li  Mackerel  arr  in  ^reat 
demand,  thouLjh  Init  {k:w  are  (  an^ht  in  the  Ciiilf  ot"  Mexii  o.  dii  a<<  nunt  ct" 
the  al)sen<  e  (if  jiroper  nets. 

"  In  the  C'iiesapeake  re^Mon  tlie  <  at(  li  has  ini  reaped  r.ipiill\-  tVoni  \ear 
to  year,  nntil  in  1X79  it  amounted  to  fully  1,000.000  ]>onn<U.  and  in  iNNo 
the  (piantit)-  Mas  in(  reaseil  to  1,609. 66;  ^lounds.  The  a\  era^^'e  dailv  <  ali  li 
for  the  jiound-nets  about  Cherrystone.  \a.,  is  fully  500  fish  ;  while  as 
many  as  4.000  have  l)een  taken  at  a  siiiLile  'lift.'  and  hauls  of  j.500  are 
not  uncommon  durini,'  the  height  of  the  season.  At  S.mdv  Hook  the 
<  ateh  is  (piite  larLje  ;  in  i  S79.  ^;. 500  iionmls  were  taken  at  one  h.iul  in  a 
pound-net  at  Seahright,  and  the  a\era,L;e  stoi  k  for  the  jioundiuts  in  that 
locality  often  exceeds  $1 .000  for  M.k  kerel  alone,  while  the  catch  of  other 
s})ec  ies    is   jiropurtionally    large. 

The  species  is  common  in  New  Orleans  and  Mobile  markets.  Altlio;;gh 
those  taken  on  the  coast  of  New  J(_rsey  and  farther  to  the  eastwartl  are 
considered  muc  h  more  delicately  llavored  than  the  Chesajicakc  fish,  ancl 
command  a  higher  jirice  in  the  market.  'J'he  Sjianish  Mac  kerel  served  at 
the  best  restaurants  in  New  Orle.ms  are  delicious  in  the  extreme,  and  fully 
etpial  to  the  best  to  be  found  in  New  "N'ork.  It  is  pre-eminently  suited  for 
broiling  and  grilling,  and  is  rarely  ])re|)ared  in  any  other  manner.* 

In  the  Chesapeake  and  about  Cajie  llatteras,  they  are  extensively  salted, 
and  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  ])ickled  king-fish  is  regarded  as  a  delicacy  of 
the  first  degree  of  excellence. 

The  Spanish  Mackerel  ought  surely  to  rank  with  the  '■  game-fishes,"  but 
unfortunately  does  not  come  fairly   within    the  designation.      It    is  occa- 

*■  Ilnw  TO  TiKoii.  Fish. — "Take  the  fish  ymi  inluml  to  l>riiil,  see  that  it  is  jimjicrly  clcani-"!,  ;iiiil  I't'^cr 
nil)  it  with  vinegar,  I ^r  siin|)ly  ilry  it  and  ilrcilije  it  uith  Ihnir,  tlicu  dip  it  into  olivo  oil,  ur  cj^i,'  aiul  lirc.il- 
cruinl)  it,  or  roll  it  well  in  clioppcd  lierbs,  then  pl.ice  it  iip.m  a  heateil  griiliron  well  rublieil  oser  with  fit. 
Mackerel  may  be  stiilTcd,  but  their  heads  slionld  be  taken  (.■tT.  When  the  lUh  is  thick,  scure  it  liere  and  there, 
or  split  down  the  back.  I'roiled  fish,  according  to  its  kind,  may  l)e  either  masked  with  a  sance,  or  served 
ui)on  a  puree  of  sorrel,  tomatoes,  or  haricots,  or  upon  an  oil  or  caper  sance.  So. iking  fi>h  in  a  marinade  ]ire- 
\  iously  to  broiling  it  is  a  consiilerable  improvement,  as  it  eats  shorter  and  better  tl.ivonred  ;  the  I'rench  steep 
It  in  olive  oil,  made  savoury  w  ith  spices,  Sic, 

"For  the  more  delicate  kinds  of  fish  the  gridiron  maybe  stewed  with  bunches  of  aromatic-  herbs  rtreshi, 
the  lish  well  oiled  being  laid  thereon  ;  do  it  very  slowly,  and  oiilv  turn  it  once  while  beingco..ked.  Fish  tir^t 
V  rimped  in  boiling  w.iter  and  then  broiled  is  excellent.  No  tlxed  rules  cm  be  given  as  to  uie  time  rcipiired  to 
broil  fish,  so  innch  depending  upon  the  slate  of  the  fire  and  the  si/o  and  sort  of  the  li>h.  Smoked  salmcm 
should  be  merely  made  hot  through." — ;(ji:i)U<;iana  Hii.i,.) 

"  Wipe  the  fish  clern  and  dry,  after  taking  out  the  gill  and  insiiles.  Open  the  bark,  and  juit  in  a  little  jiep- 
pcr,  salt,  and  oil  ;  broil  it  over  a  clear  fire,  turn  it  over  on  both  sides,  and  aUo  on  the  back.  \\  hen  liie  llesh 
can  he  detached  from  the  bone,  which  will  be  in  about  15  minutes,  it  is  done.  Chop  a  little  i)ar:.ley  into  thf 
butter,  with  pepper,  salt,  and  lemon  juice.  Serve  before  the  butter  is  iiuite  melted,  with  a  iitaitrt:  iV hotel 
sauce." — (FisHiiKiES  Exhimtion  Cdok  13ook.  i 


! 


I 


—  - — ■ 


! 


li 


!l 


I 


UJ2 


.tMF.R/C.l.V  /  fs/f/:s. 


sidiiillv  taken  (.;i  tiDlliii;^'  tai  kli-  in  iwc  in  liliiL'-ri>liin!;.  Imi  i~,  ui'mtm)  far 
•^^  I  aiM  awari.',  adfrmitc  olijcrt  of  inir^iiit. 

(iriiio  (".  Scott  wioti',  in  1S75  :  ••  M\  (.•xiK-rifncf  in  tri)lling  for  Sp  ini-.h 
Ma(  kLTL'l  off  the  inkts  of  I'iro  iNland  has  < onvinci-'d  nic  tluit  the  fish  is  as 
ininKToMs  as  the  lihie-fiJi,  an<l  more  so  tlian  tlie  strijuil  bass,  at  certain 
seasons,  and  is  found  a  little  fa rt lie r  seaward   than   either  of  those  fishes." 

'•  I'.verv  \  ear  the  shoals  of  Spanish  Mackerel  heconie  more  ami  iiur^' 
liMinerous.  and  more  are  taken,  hut  nr\er  in  siifticient  nemhers  to  rediK  e 
tin.'  a\X'ra,u'e  pric  e  IhIow  sixty  <  (.'iits  per  pound.  The  shoals  \vhi(  h  1  saw 
when  last  trollin.L,^  for  them  would  have  formed  an  area  nearly  fi\e  miles 
square,  and  still  the  most  successful  lioat  did  not  take  more  than  a  do/en 
in  three  days.  They  will  not  hite  freely  at  any  artilu  ial  lure,  and  tliouj^h 
mnnhers  came  near  le.ipini,'  on  the  deck  of  our  _\a(  lit,  they  treateil  our 
lares  with  an  indil'fereiice  wlii(  h  savored  of  p(.'rverseness." 

TroUinif  seems  to  he  more  productive  in  the  (liilf  of  Mexico  th;;!!  fir- 
tlier  north. 

Mr.  'I'haihUus  Xorris  states  that  in  the  (iulf  of  .Mexico,  they  are  some- 
times taken  \\\  hook  ami  line,  with  shrimp-bait  at  the  end  (jf  the  long 
p'ers  where  the  steamers  laml  in  Mobile  to  New  Orle.ms. 


Till-;  SII.VKR  CllliO. 


The  early  chronic  K's  of  the  colonies  seem  to  contain  no  referent  es  to 
the  Spanish  Mackerel  under  its  jirescnt  name,  but  it  seems  certain  that  this 
fish  was  the  speckled  hound-fish,  spoken  of  in  that  renowned  work,  ••  Xew 
Mngland  Rarities,  Discovered  in  Birds.  I]easts,  Fishes,  Serpents  and  Plants 
of  that  country,  etc.,  by  John  Jcjsselyn,  (rent,"  published  in  1672. 
Josselyn  wrote  of  "  Blew-fish  or  hound-fish,  two  kinds,  speckled  hound- 
fish,  called  horse-fish."  The  blue-hound-fish  can  be  nothing  else  than  the 
common  blue-fish  of  our  coast,  {^Poinafoiiiits  sa/fijfn\x),  and  no  species  in 
the  western  Atlantic,  other  than  our  Spanish  Mackerel,  sufficiently  resem- 
bles the  blue-fish  to  warrant  the  use  of  so  similar  a  name.     Mitcliill  referred 


rin:  si\\\'isir  m.\cki:ki:i.  .i\n  rirr.  cr.KOEs. 


"ij 


til  tlu'  sjii'i  ifr,  in  1.S15,  in  a  m.iiiiiir  uhi<  h  si'cius  to  imlir.iii-  tli.it  it  w.is 
not  of  r.irc  ()(  (  iirre'iK  c.  Imt  lioiii  his  tl.iy  to  rSjo.  it  sci'ins  to  li.uc  .itlr.u  tid 
Imt  little  attiiition. 


1 


veil 


.Mit( 


(lull's  |piil)lishiMl  (K's«ri[ition  ilot's  not  sei'in  to  Ii.im-  satislk'il 
contcm|i()rary  i<  hthyolu^'ists  of  the  existence  ot"  sue  h  a  lish.  for  >oiiie  of 
them  (lid  not  hesitate  t«)  express  the  opinion  that  hr.  Mitrhill  hail  l>een 
ileieivcil  by  a(<  idental  differeiKes  of  loli.f  at  dilTerelit  si'asoiis  of  the  viar, 
ami  til, It  tluTe  were  not  so  many  varietii's  of  Mac  kerel  as  he  inia-iiud.'" 

In  an  i's-.ay  on  the  fishes  of  New  \'ork  market,  published  in  |N5.}.  I'rot'. 
dill  referred  to  tiie  Spanish  Markerel  as  a  spei  ies  of  slight  importaiK  e. 

'I"he  quantity  taken  with  hi)ok  and  Une  is  quite  insij^nitlc  ant  ;  they  are 
eaii^dit  almost  entirely  in  traps  and  weirs,  and  these  contrivaiK  es  were  not 
employed  in  Narragansett  I?ay  lietore  1.S45,  and  did  not  ronu>  into 
general  use  elsewhere  on  the  < oast  until  many  years  later.  .Many  e\peri- 
enc  ed  llslu-rmen  are.  however,  of  the  o|)inion  that  they  h.ue  been  rapidly 
increasing  of  late,  ami  this  is  strikingly  conllrmed  by  the  marketmen. 

I)eKay  in  his  "  New  ^'ork  Fauna,"  1S42,  mentioned  that  he  ha<l  seen 
this  fish  in  Xew  York  market,  in  August  and  Sei)tember,  but  that  it  was 
not  common. 

Trof.  IJ.iird,  who  was  one  of  the  I'irst  to  speak  of  the  abundance  of  this 
spei  ies  and  to  testify  to  its  excellent  ipialities,  wrote  in  1S54:  ••  liut  two 
specimens  were  taken  during  my  stay  at  IJeesIey's  Point,  and  the  species  is 
scarcely  known  to  the  fishermen.  It  was  more  abundant  at  Cireenport. 
L.  I.;  in  the  I'econic  Bay,  towards  Riverhead,  four  hundred  were  caught 
;.t  one  haul  of  the  seine.  The  fish  bring  a  high  price  in  the  New  York 
market,  where  it  has  been  but  re(  ently  sold  at  from  fifty  cents  to  fine  dol- 
lar a  pound,  the  jirices  varying  with  the  season.  It  has  been  more  abund- 
ant off  our  coast  than  ever  befiire,  and  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Potomac 
numbers  have  been  taken." 

The  (lloucester  "  Telegraiih  "  of  August  17,  1870,  stated  that  the  New- 
port epicures  were  in  ecstasies  over  the  fact  that  Spanish  Mackerel,  the 
most  delicious  fish  caught  in  the  sea,  were  taken  there  in  seines,  and 
remarked  that  it  was  only  by  southerly  winds  that  they  were  tempted  so 
far  north. 

Mr.  J.  M.  K.  Southwick  states  that  the  first  Spaniih  Mackerel  taken  in 


*  Smith,  J.  V.  C:  N^tuml  History  of  t'.:c  Fishes  of  Massachusetts,  iS,3,    ,  295. 
13 


194 


A.^fERTCAX  FISHES. 


the  vicinity  of  XcwjKjrt  were  ft)unil  in  the  summer  of  I1S57.      Xo  one  knew 
what  they  were. 

Mr.  I'larll  writes  as  follows  concernini^-  the  history  of  its  increase  : 

'•About  Sandy  Hook  prior  to  i'S5o.  almost  nothing  was  known  of  the 
fi.h,  as  shown  l.\-  the  fac  t  that  about  this  time  Mr.  Robert  Lloyd,  a  fisher- 
man at  Seabright,  was  engaged  in  trolling  for  bluefish,  having  a  contract 
with  one  of  tlie  hotels  to  Jake  his  entire  catch,  lie  secured  a  number  of 
Spanish  Mackerel  (these  being  the  first  he  had  ever  seen),  whicli  were 
carried  with  the  bluefish  to  the  hotel  :  but  the  ])roprietor  knew  nolh.ing  of 
their  value,  and  buying  them. 

"  l'"roin  this  date  they  were  taken  more  frequenth',  and  soon  were  highi\- 
]  ri/ed.  'J'hey  were  caught  wholly  by  trolling,  the  a\erage  catch  being 
tVom  ten  to  twenty  fish  \o  a  boat  daily.  They  continued  to  increase  in 
number,  or  at  least  were  more  generally  noticed  by  the  fishermen,  until 
1866,  when  they  were  (|uite  plentiful,  becoming  most  abundant  between 
1S70  and  1N75.  During  that  ])eriod  it  is  said  that  they  were  often  nearl\- 
as  ])lenty  as  the  bluefish,  though  comparatively  few  were  taken,  owing  t(.) 
the  lack  of  suitable  apjiaratus.  It  was  not  until  the  introduction  of 
properly  arranged  gill-nets  and  pound-nets  that  the  fishermen  succeeded 
in  securing  consideraljle  quantities. 

"It  is  claimed  that  their  numbers  have,  since  1S75,  gradually  decuased 
on  the  inshore  grounds,  though  they  are  said  to  be  as  numerous  as  for- 
merly, eight  to  ten  miles  from  land,  where  they  remain  beyond  the  reac  h 
of  gill-nets  and  ])Ound-nets. 

"Many  of  the  fishermen  of  Chesapeake  Hay  never  saw  the  sjK'cies 
before  1875,  though  there  are  authentic  records  showing  that  individuals 
were  occasionally  taken  in  the  haul-seines  along  the  Eastern  shores  as 
early  as  i860,  and  hauls  of  one  and  two  hundred  are  reported  by  Dr.  J.  T. 
Wilkins  in  1866.*  It  is  very  e:  sy  to  exiilain  the  ignorance  of  the  fisher- 
men as  to  the  abundance  of  the  species  in  that  region,  for,  mitil  recently, 
the  fisheries  of  the  Chesapeake  appear  to  have  been  of  small  commercial 
importance,  having  been  prosecuted  only  during  the  spring  and  fall  by 
means  of  gill-nets  and  haul-seines.  l)uring  the  summer  months,  when  the 
Mackerel  are  most  ])lent\-,  no  fishing  of  importance  was:  done.  Pound- 
nets  were  introduced  into  the  Chesapeake  region  in  1875,  and  it  was 
through  their  use  tliat  the  fishermen  came  to  know  of  the  abundance  of 
the  species  in  these  waters. 

"On  the  North  Carolina  coast  most  of  the  fishermen,  and,  indeed,  a 
majority  of  the  dealers,  are  still  unacquainted  with  either  the  name  or  the 
value  of  the  Mackerel,  and  when,  in  1S79,  several  thousand  ])oimds  of 
them  were  brought  to  Wilmington,  the  dealers  refused  to  buy  them,  sup- 

*Prof.  R.iird,  as  we  have  seen,  referred  to  extensive  captures  of  this  species  in  the  lower  Potomac  ami 
Chesapeake  in  1854,  and  called  attenuun  to  the  fact  that  they  were  to  bo  had  salted  in  the  Washingiun  city 
fish  market. 


f 


THE  SPANISH  MACKKRJU.  AXP   /'///■    CKA'OF.S.       195 


])(.sing  thi-'in  to  b^'  a  si:c(  ic's  of  horM-'-mackcrrl  (Orryiiiis),  \vlii(  li  tlir\- 
uiulcrst()(j<l  had  no  valiic  as  a  footl-lisli.  Sinci.'  no  purchasers  lould  \k- 
found  for  them,  they  were  finally  thrown  away.  Fartiier  south  few  have 
heen  taken,  owing  to  the  lack  of  suitable  ajtparatus,  as  well  as  to  the  fact 
that  the  fishermen  seldv  m  fish  beyond  tlie  inlets.  The  sukk  k  fishermen  of 
Ciiarleston  catch  a  few  on  troUdines  during  the  ])leasant  weather  of  the 
sjiring  and  early  summer,  but  they  fish  only  occasionally  in  this  wa\'. 

" 'I'hough  the  fishing  is  at  present  limited  to  certain  localities,  there  is 
no  reason  to  believe  that  the  fish  are  absent  t'roin  other  phu  es  ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  seems  prt)bal)le  that,  should  jiroper  a]>iiaratus  be  employed, 
the  species  could  be  taken  at  almost  any  pt)int  along  the  outer  shore 
where  the  menhaden  are  abundant." 

C".  R.  Moore,  of  Johnsontown.  Va.,  wrote  in  1S74:  "  S])anish  Mack- 
erel come  in  September  and  October  and  stay  until  frost.  Tiiey  are  most 
numerous  about  the  mouth  of  the  York  River,  where  a  large  nuin!)er  are 
caught  in  seines  and  salted.      They  bring  about  S40  a  barrel." 

There  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  the  jn-esent  fishery  will  affect  the 
future  abundance  of  the  species;  for  the  catch  is  necessarily  insignificant 
when  the  immense  number  of  individuals  in  our  waters  is  taken  into 
account.  There  is  no  doubt  that  there  have  been  important  lluctuations 
in  abundance  in  the  past,  and  natural  causes  are  certain,  cause  a  like 
variation  in  the  future. 

It  is  jiarticularly  imjjortant  therefore,  that  the  experiments  whi(  h  the 
U.  S.  Fish  Commission  has  already  made  upon  the  artificial  propagation 
of  this  species  shall  be  as  soon  as  possible  brought  to  some  practical 
outcome. 

The  Spanish  Mackerel  of  New  England  was  a  fish  with  sjiotted  sides. 
The  people  of  New  England  found  a  s])otted  mackerel  and  called  it  by 
the  old  familiar  name  ;  the  people  of  the  Middle  States  did  likewise  with 
a  different  kind  of  spotted  mackerel.  In  like  manner  the  names  herring, 
alewife,  shad,  salmon,  trout,  perch,  chub,  and  bass  are  ajjplied  to  several 
different  kinds  of  fish  in  different  jiarts  of  the  United  States.  There  is 
only  one  clew  to  the  manner  in  which  the  Spanish  Mackerel  of  England 
was  named.  Rondeletius,  who  wrote  in  1554.  a  book  on  marine  fishes, 
"Libri  de  Piscibus  Marinis,"  speaks  of  this  fish  as  occasionally  occurring 
on  the  coast  of  France,  but  j)articularly  abundant  in  Spain. 

How  did  our  Spanish  Mackerel  get  its  name  ?  ICnglish  colonists,  the 
world  over,  have  always  given  to  the  native  animals  of  the  new  continent, 
tile  names  of  those  with  which  thev  were  familiar  in  their  ancestral  home. 


I 


I 


i 


■I 


196 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  only  other  spotteil  fish  which  has  been  known  to  fretiuent  our  coast 
is  the  "  chub  mackerel  "  or  "  thimble  eye,"  a  species  closely  allied  to  the 
common  mackerel,  but  smaller,  and  distinguished  by  having  larger  eyes 
and  less  distinct  dorsal  markings,  as  well  as  by  other  characters.  This 
was  the  "  Spanish  Mackerel  "  of  New  England  fifty  years  ago.  Its  name 
must  have  come  to  it  from  the  "Spanish  Mackerel"  of  England,  the 
SiOiiibcr  colias,  described  by  Gmelin,  with  which,  indeed,  some  authori- 
ties believe  it  to  be  identical,  and  which  also  is  very  similar  to  the 
common  mackerel,  Scomber  scoinbriis,  though  smaller,  with  fewer  stripes 
upon  its  back,  and  with  circular  spots  of  grey  or  brown  upon  the  white 
sides,  which  in  the  common  mackerel  are  pearly  and  immaculate.  The 
cpiestion  of  the  identity  of  the  Spanish  ]\[ackerel  of  New  England,  with 
that  of  Old  England,  is  not  likely  to  be  tlecided  at  present,  for  the  former 
has  entirely  deserted  our  waters,  though  at  one  time  extremely  abundant. 

The  origin  of  the  name  "Mackerel"  is  in  itself  a  curious  subject  of 
inquiry.  Certain  authorities  derive  it  from  the  Old  Erench  maqucrcaii, 
signifying  a  pander  or  go-between,  from  a  popular  tradition  in  France, 
that  the  Mackerel  in  spring  follows  the  female  shads  which  are  called 
vicrgcs,  and  leads  them  to  their  mates.  Skeat  and  other  modern  ety- 
mologists reject  this  idea,  and  decide  that  the  name  comes  from  the  Latin 
macus  or  inaca,  signifying  a  spot  or  stain. 

Still  another  theory  is  advocated  by  Dr.  C.  D.  Badham,  in  his  "  Prose 
Halieutics." 

"  The  word  Mackerel  is  one  of  very  old  standing  in  our  own  vocabulary, 
and  has  most  probably  a  northern  origin  ;  but  whether  this  be  so  or  not, 
both  the  usually  assigned  Greek  and  I>atin  etymologies  are  equally  inad- 
missible ;  the  Greek,  which,  either  from  the  excellence  of  the  flesh,  its 
own  personal  happiness,  or  that  which  it  confers  on  so  many  Mackerel- 
eaters,  would  conjure  Mackerel  from  it<iMa(no:i  is  obviously  untrue,  and 
particulary  ////happy;  nor  is  Mackerel  'quasi  niacularius,'  /.  e.  ihc  s/iof/cd, 
in  lieu  of  what  it  is,  a  sfn'pcd  i\^\\,  a  less  unfortunate  attempt  to  fish  out  a 
meaning  from  the  Latin.  If  we  are  to  adopt  any  etymology  where  all  are 
doubtful,  Aldrovandi's  '  magarellos  seu  nacarellos  e  corporis  nacritudine,' 
seems  the  most  plausible  ;  the  shot,  lustrous  surface  of  the  belly  and  sides 
is  certainly  nacreous  ;  while  we  are  distinctly  taught  in  our  Church  cate- 
chism that  in  regard  to  a  name,  an  M  or  N  are  indifferent,  and  in  fact  the 
change  of  one  of  these  liquids  into  the  other  never  offers  any  real  difficulty 
in  etymology.  Touching  the  nomenclature  of  that  particular  kind  called 
sometimes  Spanish,  sometimes  Horse-Mackerel,  though  the  latter  adjunct 


THE  SPANISH  MACKEREL  AND   THE   CEROES.      197 


oftLMi  expresses  no  more  than  si/e  or  coarseness — as  in  ([ualifying  tlie 
words  laugh,  mushroom,  chesnut.  or  radish, — it  is  (juite  possible  in  this 
case  that  it  may  merely  be  the  translation  ot"  ciirallo,  which  in  that  lan- 
guage not  only  means  horse,  but  Mackerel  as  well.  C'oncerning  the 
opprobrious  employment  of  this  word  to  designate  a  certain  class  of  vil- 
lains, called  in  Latin  Iciioiu-s,  ai  d  riijjiaiii  in  Italian.  M.  Lacejjede,  after 
Belon,  gives  the  following  interj^retation — '  C'est  a  raison  de  la  rencontre 
lies  mac[uereau.\  avec  les  petits  aloses  on  pucelles  vers  le  temps  ou  celles-ci 
vont  frayer  avec  les  males,  cpi'on  a  donne  ce  vilain  nom  (maquererau), 
qu'il  porte  en  France  et  dans  quelques  autres  pays.'  " 


. 


I 


- 


.■';  I 


it  ^ 


THE  C.VROLIX.V  ruMl'AXO. 


THE  POMPANOES. 


"  Lightly  and  liri;;htly  they  ^lide  ami  go 
The  luingry  ami  keen  im  tlie  top  are  leaping 
The  \.uy  and  fat  on  tlie  depths  are  sleeping." 

William  Mackwoktu  I'nAnn,  Tlu-  Red  Fisherman. 


'T'HE  Pompano,  \s\\\\  its  pleasing  contours,  its  banner-like  fins,  antl  its 
scales  glistening  with  the  brilliancy  of  polished  silver  and  gold,  is 
one  of  tiie  loveliest  of  our  summer  visitors.  It  is  not  an  angler'sfish,  nor  is 
it  a  food  lisli  of  imjiortance  from  the  commercial  stand-point,  yet  it  is  con- 
fessedly th  ■  king  of  table-fishes,  commanding  almost  fabulous  prices  in  the 
markets  of  our  great  cities,  and  esteemed  more  highly  than  salmon  or  l)ass, 
moon-fish  or  Spanish  mackerel.  It  figures  in  angling  literature  as  "the 
wood-cock  ot   the  seas" — wherefore,  the  writer  is  unable  to  say. 

The  genus  Trachyiwtus,  to  which  our  Pompanoes  belong,  is  widely  dis- 
tributed through  the  warmer  parts  of  the  Atlantic  and  Indo-Atlantic 
regions.  Three  species  are  peculiar  to  Asiatic  waters,  three  have  been 
found  only  on  our  own  Pacific  coast,  one  is  limited  to  the  waters  of 
western  Africa,  one  to  those  of  the  Caribbean,  while  of  the  four  which  are 
abundant  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  North  America,  one  ranges  the  wide 
wt)rld  over,  occurring  in  warm  waters  everywhere,  one  is  found  on  the 
California  coast,  and  one  in  Africa.  The  genus  is  entirely  unknown  in 
the    waters   of   Europe.       The   species   of  the   Pacific   coast,  Trachynotiis 


! 


THE  rOMPAXOES. 


199 


rluhlopHS,  T.  J'asciatiis  and  (/.  Kcniu-Jyi,  aru  chicllv  interrstiiiLr  to 
naturalists,  and  will  not  br  di->(iis>cd  at  K-iiutli.  The  rDnijianocs  of  our 
Atlantic  waters,  liclonj^iuLC  as  they  do  to  a  small,  strongly  specialized 
i^-enus,  are  separated  from  each  other  liy  (  haracters  n;)t  likeh'  to  he  notii  (  d 
liy  casual  ol)ser\ers.  Jt  is  jirohaMe  that  the  most  unusu.al  of  tliem  is  mo-e 
adtundant  than  is  now  suiJposed.  and  that  a  more  careful  study  of  the  Kam  \ 
of  the  South  Atlantic  and  (lulf  States  will  show  that  they  are  frei|Ue;.' 
\isitors.  I  have  myself  sei'H  the  Carolina  and  the  R()un<l  I'ompano  sold 
under  the  same  name  in  C'harleston  market.  jiNt  as  1  ha\e  seen  the  vouu:: 
of  four  spei  ies  of  the  herring  family  sold  together  indiM  riminately  in  l''ul- 
ton  market.  Xew  A'ork. 

The  four  species,  though  similar  in  general  appearance,  nia\-  easily  be 
distinguished  by  differenc  es  in  ja-oportions  and  in  tlie  I'.nmlier  of  fin-ravs. 

The  commonest  and  by  far  the  nio-t  important  fo:ni,  the  Carolina 
I'om[>ano,  Trachviiotits  caroliiiiis.  has  the  height  of  tlie  body  contained 
two  to  two  and  two-thirds  times  in  th.e  total  length  :  the  length  of  the  hea.d 
five  to  fi\e  and  one-third  times:  one  of  the  caudal  lobis  four  times.  it 
has  twenty-four  to  t\venty-fi\e  rays  in  the  second  dorsal,  while  the  anterior 
ravs  of  the  dorsal  and  anal  fins,  if  laid  bac  kward.  reach  to  the  miildle  of 
the  fin. 

It  occurs  in  both  the  Atlantic:  and  Pacific  waters  of  the  I'nited  States. 
(  )n  our  eastern  coast  it  ranges  north  to  Cape  Cod.  south  to  J;;inaica,  east 
lo  the  l)ermu(las,  and  west  in  the  Culf  of  Mexico,  at  least  as  far  as  the 
mouth  of  the  ]\Iississi])pi  Ri\er.  In  the  Pacific  it  is  rare,  and  as  vet  known 
onlv  from  the  Culf  of  California,  where  it  has  recently  been  obserxed  by 
Mr.  C.  II.   C.ilbert. 

Like  the  Spanish  mackerel,  the  scjueteague,  and  the  bliiefish,  it  is  a  sum- 
mer visitor,  appearing  in  southern  Massachusetts  in  June  and  Ju.ly, 
departing  in  Sejitember.  It  is  em[)hatically  a  warm  water  species.  Although 
it  is  at  present  impossible  to  ascertain  the  lower  limit  of  its  temperature 
ra.nge,  it  is  j)rol)able  that  this  corresponds  very  nearly  to  that  iiidicated  by 
a  harbor  temperature  of  60°  to  65°  Fahr. 

The  Pompano  has  never  been  known  to  pass  the  boundary  tlefmed  by 
the  low,  sandv  barrier  of  Cape  Cod  and  its  submarine  extension,  the 
Ceorges  Pank.  Like  the  shoals  of  Hatteras,  the  broad,  slightly  submerged 
saii'ls  of  this  reuion.  with  their  swirling  tides  and  lluctuations  of  tempera- 


ture. f(jrl)i(l  the  jiassage  of  many  specie: 


ahuiK 


lant  either  to  the   North   or 


li  i 


;oo 


AMKRICAX  J'JSIIES. 


i 


f 


!/  ^* 


South.  I')()lh  of  our  conimoii  I'onipanocs  were  dt'scrihcd  by  Linnivus  from 
Sotitli  C'arolina,  l)Ut  had  never  l)C'L'n  observed  north  of  C'aj)e  Ilatteras 
until  the  summer  of  1854,  when  I'rof.  llaird.  at  that  time  carryiiiL,^  on  the 
first  of  the  i(  lithyological  investigations  \vlii(  Ii  have  since  made  his  name 
fnnous  all  the  world  over,  discovered  it  near  Great  I'^gg  Harbor.  Jn  his 
Rejiort  on  the  l'"ishes  of  New  Jersey,  he  states  that  he  had  seen  them  taken 
])y  thousands  in  the  sandy  coves  of  the  outer  beach,  near  ]>eesley's  Point. 
These,  however,  were  all  rather  small,  scarcely  exceeding  a  i]uarter  to  half 
a  iiotmd  in  weight.  In  1S63  he  obtained  both  species  in  Southern 
Massachusetts,  wliere  in  subsecjuent  years  they  ha\e  fre(iuently  been 
ca))ttu-ed. 

"  My  first  ac(|uaintance  with  tlie  rom])ano  in  New  I'ingland,"  writes 
I'rof.  Uaird,  "was  in  i>S63,  during  a  residence  at  Wood's  Holl,  where  1 
not  unfrecjuently  caught  young  ones  of  a  few  inches  in  length.  I  was  more 
fortunate  in  the  summer  of  1S71,  which  I  also  spent  at  Wood's  Holl  :  then 
the  Pompano  was  taken  occasionally,  especially  in  Capt.  Spindle's  i)oim(l, 
and  I  received  at  different  times  as  many  as  twenty  or  thirty,  weighing 
about  one  and  one-half  or  two  i)ounds  each,  (^uite  a  number  were  caught 
in  P>'izzard's  P)ay  and  Vineyard  Sound  in  i(S72." 

It  is  a  fair  cjuestion  whether  the  Pompano  has  recently  found  its  way 
into  northern  waters,  or  whether  its  presence  was  unknown  Ijecause  nobody 
had  found  tlie  way  to  capture  it.  When  Mitchill  wrote  on  the  fishes  of 
New  York  in  1S42  he  had  access  to  a  single  specimen  which  had  been 
taken  off  Sandy  Hook  about  the  year  1S20. 

I  i]Uote  in  full  the  observations  of  Mr.  Stearns: 

"The  common  Pompano  is  abundant  on  the  Oulf  coast  from  the 
Mississi])pi  River  to  Key  West,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  is  rare  bevond 
this  western  limit  until  the  Yucatan  coast  is  reached,  where  it  is  common. 
It  is  considered  the  choicest  fish  of  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  and  has  great 
commercial  demand,  which  is  fully  sujiplied  but  a  few  weeks  in  the  vear, 
namely,  when  it  arrives  in  spring.  'J'he  Pompano  is  a  migratory  fish  in 
the  Pensacola  region,  but  I  think  its  habits  on  the  South  Florida  coast  are 
such  that  it  cannot  pro]ierly  be  so  classed. 

"  At  Pensac;ola  it  comes  in  to  the  coast  in  spring  and  goes  away  from  it 
in  fall,  while  in  South  Florida  it  is  found  throughout  the  year.  In  the 
former  section  it  ajipears  on  the  coast  in  March  in  schools  varying  in  num- 
bers of  individuals  from  fifty  to  three  or  four  thousand,  wliich  continue  to 
'  run  '  until  the  latter  i)art  of  May,  when  it  is  supj^osed  that  they  are  all 
inside.     Their  movement  is  from  the  eastward,  and  thev  swim  as  near  to 


THE  rO.MPANOES. 


301 


the  shore  as  the  state  of  the  water  will  ])ermit,  very  seldom  at  the  surface 
so  as  to  rii)i)le  or  hreak  the  water,  althoui^h  scjiiietimes  wliile  ]ilaying  in 
shoal  water  they  will  jiini])  into  the  air. 

'■  liefore  any  schools  enter  the  havs  certain  ones  will    remain   for  days, 
or  even  weeks,  in  a  neighhorhood,  ( omiuL;  to  the  beach  during;   the  tlood 
tide  to  feed  on  the  shell-fish   that   alumnil   there  and    retiirnint,^  ayain   to 
deeper  water  on  the  ehh-tide.      'I'he  holes  or  uullies  in  the  saml  alonn'   the 
beach  are  their  faxorite  feeding,' ^'rounds  on   these  occasions.      Sharks  and 
l^orpoises  pursue   the    l*onii)ano   iiu  essanilv,    doubtless   de^^troyini;   many. 
The  lar,i,fest  lunnbers  come  in  A|iril,  and  sometimes  durini;  that  month  the 
first  schools  are  seen   enterin.L;   the  inlets,   others  followiiiL;   almost   e\ery 
day,  until  about  June  i,  when  the  sprinL,M'im  is  said   to    be  over.      I'.very 
year  they  ajjpear  in  this  way  at  Pensacola  and  adjoininj;  bays.  althouL;h 
there  are  many  more  some  years  than  others.      As  tlie  abunchuK  e  is  judged 
by  the  ([uantity  cauijht  1  think  that  the  difference  may  lie  more  in   the 
number  of  fishini;  da\s  (])leasant  ones)   than  in   tlie   real   nundiers  ^^{  ^\>\\ 
present.      The  sizes  of  I'ompano  that  make  u])  these  schools   are  lar,i,'e  or 
adult   fisli   a\era,L;ing  twelve   or  fourteen    inc  lies  in  leniith,  and  small    fish 
(probably  one  year  old)  avera,L,Mn,Lf  eight  inc  lus   in   length.      The   largest 
Pom])ano  that  1  have  seen  measured  nineteen  and  a  half  inc  lies  in  length, 
and  weighed  six  and   a  cpiarter  ])oands,   the  extremely  large  I'lsh  called 
Pompano  of  two  or  three  times  that  si/e  jirobably  being  another  species. 
After  entering  the  bays  the  S(  hools   of  I'ompano  break  up   ami   the   fish 
scatter  to  all  i)arts  where  the  water   is  salt  and  there  are  good   feeding 
grounds.      Ivxcept  single  individuals  that  are  taken  now  and  then,  nothing 
is  seen  of  Pomjjano  until  late  in  the  fall,  when   they  are   bound  seaward. 
In  regard  to  its  siiawning  habits  nothing  very  definite   has  been    learned. 
It  has  spawn  half  developed  when  it  arrives  and  has  none  when    it   leaves 
the  l)ays.      Large  cjuantities  of  the  fry  are  seen  in  the  bays  all  summer, 
which  is  some  jiroof  of  its  spawning  inside.     In  June,  1S7S,  1   caught 
specimens  of  the  fry  varying  in  si/e  from  three-quarters  of  an  inch  to  three 
inches  in  length.      Very  many  schools  of  these  sizes  were  also  observed  in 
July  and  August  of  the  same  and  following  }ears  of  i<S79-'8o. 

"  The  schools  of  fry  go  to  sea  in  August  and  September.  The  older  or 
adult  fish  lea\e  the  coast  in  September  and  October  in  small  schc;ols,  that 
are  only  seen  and  caught  at  the  inlets  where  they  happen  to  cross  shoals 
or  follow  the  beach.  These  Pomjiano  of  the  fall  are  very  fat  and  in  every 
way  superior  to  those  caught  in  the  spring.  As  before  mentioned,  the 
Pomjjano  is  found  on  the  South  Florida  coast  all  the  year.  The  ,sea-beach, 
from  Tampa  I>ay  to  Charlotte  Harbor  seems  to  be  its  favorite  feeding- 
ground  owing  to  the  (juantity  of  shell-fish  that  occur  there.  It  does  not 
form  in  large  schools  as  in  the  Pensacola  region,  and  therefore  is  not  taken 
in  such  large  quantities  by  seine  fishermen. 

"  Smacks  from  Mobile  and  Pensacola  sometimes  go  tci  Tam])a  Bay  for 
them.     I  have  been  told  that  Pompano  are  caught  at  Key  ^\'est  in  con- 


:l 


i-1 


,! 


I 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


siiliTalilc  (|iiantitiL's  1>\-  liook  and  line,  and  I  liavc  known  of  a  few  beini; 
taken  in  that  manner  at  JV'nsacohi.  It  feeds  entirely  npon  sinatl  shell- 
fish. whi(  h  are  crushed  between  the  bones  of  its  pharyngeal  arch." 

The  Round  Tonipano,  T.  rhomho'ufcs,  has  the  height  of  the  body  con- 
t.iiiied  two  to  two  and  one-third  times  in  the  total  length  ;  the  length  of 
the  head  fixe  to  l"i\e  and  one-fourth  times;  one  of  the  caudal  lobes  three 
and  adialf  to  four  times.  In  the  second  dorsal  are  from  eighteen  to 
twent\-on(.'  ra\s,  in  the  second  anal  from  sixteen  to  nineteen,  while  in  the 
Carolina  I'ompano  there  are  twenty-one  to  twenty-two. 

In  the  south  it  is  sometimes  called  the  "  Shore  Pompano,"  and  is  known 
in  the  Bermudas  by  the  name  "  Alewife." 


THE  ROUND  POMPAXO. 


The  Round  Pomjiano  is  cosmopolitan  in  its  distribution,  occurring  in 
the  North  and  South  Atlantic,  and  in  various  jiarts  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 
The  young  have  been  obtained  in  the  harbor  of  Vineyard  Haven,  Mass., 
and  at  Ileaufort,  S.  C".  It  is  i)robable  that  the  species  is  far  more  abund- 
ant in  our  -waters  than  we  now  suiijiose  it  to  be. 

The  only  well  authentiiated  instance  of  the  capture  of  the  Pompano 
with  hook  and  line  are  those  recorded  by  S.  C.  Clarke.  During  ten  win- 
ters of  Florida  angling  he  writes  :  "  I  have  only  once  seen  this  fish  taken 
(vith  the  hook.  My  fish  was  taken  on  a  rod  with  clam-bait,  while  fishing 
for  sheepshead  in  April,  1875,  in  the  Hillsboro  River,  near  New  Smyrna." 
B.  C.  Pacetti,  a  veteran  fishermen,  assured  Mr.  Clarke  that  during  forty 
years'experience,  he  had  only  known  of  two  similar  instances. 

The  African    Pompano,    T.  gorcensis,   originally   described    from    the 


THE  POMPANOES. 


-o.? 


Ishnid  of  (loixM,  oil  the  wijst  coast  of  Africa,  ivscmhks  in  general  form 
tiic  Round  Ponipano,  thoui;!!  somewhat  more  elongate,  while  the  head  is 
larLrer.  lieini,^  contained  four  and  a  half  times  in  the  total  length.  The 
anterior  rays  of  the  dorsal  and  anal  extend  bevond  the  middle  of  the  fin. 
if  laid  liackward.  in  the  number  of  the  fin  ravs  it  corrt'sponils  most 
closely  with  the  Round  Pompano.  I  first  became  familiar  with  the  s])e(  ies 
through  examining  a  small  specimen  in  the  collection  of  my  friend,  j. 
Matthew  Jones,  Es([.,  of  ••  The  Hermitage."  Smith's  Parish.  liermuda.  in 
1S76,  has  since  been  repeatedh-  observed  on  our  own  coast.  It  is  tlu' 
largest  of  the  Pomjianoes.  I  )r.  J.  W.  Wlie  obtained  two  large  specimens 
in  West  l''lori(la,  and  in  iSjg,  Mr.  lUackford  sent  to  the  National  Museum 
a  giant  of  the  same  spet  ies,  taken  at  Jupiter  Inlet,  about  two  feet 
long,  and  weighing  twenty-three  pounds.  It  has  sine  e  become  evident  that 
the  species  figured  by  (lirard  in  the  ichthyology  of  the  United  States  and 
Mexican  boundary,  under  the  name  Dolioilon  iaroliinis,  is  really  Tracliy- 
iiotus  j^ori'ciisis,  and  that  its  occurrence  in  the  (lulf  of  Mexico  is  woi 
unusual. 

In  the  (rulf  of  Mexico  it  is  not  unusual,  being  known  at  Key  West  as 
the  ••  Permit. " 

Stearns  informs  us  that  this  fish  is  rather  common  along  the  lower  end 
of  the  the  Florida  Peninsula,  and  is  often  taken  in  seines  at  Cellar  Keys, 
and  at  the  mullet  fisheries  of  Sarasota  and  Charlotte  Harbor,  as  well  as 
about  Key  West. 

The  Banner  Pompano,  T.  _i^/a//(-us,  has  a  somewhat  elongate  body  and  a 
small  head.  It  is  much  thinner  than  either  of  the  other  species.  Its  sil- 
\  erv  sides  are  marke<l  with  four  blackish  vertical  streaks  ;  the  best 
distinguishing  mark  is  in  the  length  of  the  first  rays  of  the  dorsal  and 
anal,  which  extend  l)ack  nearly  to  the  tip  of  the  caudal  tin. 

It  is  a  member  of  the  West  Indian  fauna,  and  is  represented  in  the 
National  Museum  by  sj)ecimens  from  Pensacola,  Key  ^Vest,  the  IJahamas 
and  the  Bermudas.  Stearns  remarks  that  it  is  obtained  frecjuently  at  Pen- 
sacola with  the  other  species,  but  is  never  very  common,  is  seen  only  in 
the  spring,  and  is  not  valued  as  a  food-fish.  Professor  Jordan  tells  me  that 
it  is  not  rare  along  the  Carolina  and  (Julf  coasts,  and  that  at  Pensacola, 
wherever  it  is  known  as  the  '  Call-topsail  Pompano,'  it  is  held  in  low 
esteem.  The  allied  species,  Trachynotus  fasciatus,  has  lately  been  noticed 
by  Jordan  and  Cilbert  on  the  Pacific  sitle  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 


! 


204 


AMEKICAX  FISHES. 


lil 


Linna;iis  classed  the  Pom]ian()  with  the  stickleback  on  account  of  tlie 
sharj)  spines  on  its  dorsal  fin.  The  young,like  that  of  the  swordfish,  have 
along  the  jjosterior  edges  of  the  opercular  bones,  rows  of  strong  spike-like 
spines,  which  entirely  disappear  with  advancing  age. 

Tlie  spawning  grounds  and  breeding  times  of  these  fishes  are  not  well 
known.  Mr.  Samuel  C.  Clarke  states  that  the  common  PomiJano  sjiawns 
in  March,  in  the  open  sea,  near  the  inlet  to  Indian  River,  Fla.  Mr. 
Stearns'  statement  concerning  the  occurrence  of  the  young  about  Pensa- 
cola  has  already  been  cpioted.  It  is  su])posed  that  those  visiting  our 
northern  coast  breed  in  winter,  at  a  distance  from  the  shore,  the  eggs,  like 
those  of  the  mackerel,  being  lighter  than  the  water  and  floating  at  or  near 
the  surface.  The  Pomi)anoes  may,  however,  be  truly  migratory  fishes, 
seeking  the  waters  neai  the  ecpiator  in  winter,  to  follow  a  long  coastwise 
migration,  north  and  south  in  summer.  They  are  rapid,  powerful 
swimmers. 

Their  food  consists  of  mollusks,  the  softer  kinds  of  crustaceans,  and 
probably  the  young  of  other  fishes.  S.  C.  Clarke  states  that  they  have 
been  known  to  bite  at  a  clam  bait.  Scott  remarks  :  "  It  is  mullet- 
mouthed  ;  never  takes  a  bait  except  by  mistake."  Their  teeth  are  very 
small  and  are  apt  to  disappear  with  age. 

They  are  caught  in  set  nets  and  Spanish  cast-nets.  Great  quantities  are 
secured  in  the  Ciulf  of  Mexico  and  in  Mobile  Bay.  A  few  are  taken  every 
year  in  the  traps  on  the  New  Jersey  coast.  The  local  demand  for  them  is 
so  great  that  they  are  not  usually  sent  far  away  from  the  place  where  they 
are  taken.  In  New  Orleans,  Mobile,  Savannah,  Charleston,  or  New  York, 
they  readily  command  the  price  of$i  to  $1.50  a  pound.  The  entire 
quantity  sold  annually  in  New  York  probably  does  not  exceed  three 
thousand  pounds. 

Pompano  means  "grape  leaf,"  and  in  Western  Europe  is  appropriated 
by  a  very  different  fish.  This  name  was  applied  to  our  fish  by  the  Spanish 
colonists  of  America.  The  Cubans  call  the  Pompano  "Palometa."  In 
South  Carolina  it  is  known  as  the  "  Crevalle  "  or  "  Cavally,"  a  corruption 
of  Caballa,  (horse).  La  Roche,  in  his  "Voyage  to  Canada,"  published 
in  1542,  wrote  of  "  salmons,  mullets,  sturgeons,  surmullets,  bass,  carps, 
fiiiipcrncaux,  and  other  fresh  water  fish."  This  is  the  earliest  use  of  this 
name  for  an  American  fish ;  the  writer  cannot  have  been  acquainted  with 
what  we  now  call  Pompano,  but  it  is  impossible  to  understand  his  meaning. 


THE  roMJ'.L\o/:s. 


20S 


111  AuLfiist.  1S74,  ;i  party  of  the  I'isli  ("niiunission  h.iiili'il  ;i  himdiL'il 
fathom  SL'iiic  on  thi-  hivK  h  at  Watdi  Hill,  K.  !..  and  niiu  h  to  our  siirprist' 
a  number  of  yoiiiiL;  Carolina  I'ompanois  wrre  landLMl.  They  were  less 
than  two  inches  long,  and  were  e\<eedin,i,dy  grai  efiil  in  their  movements. 
They  were  kept  alive  for  some  weeks  in  a([iiaria.  At  a  short  distance 
they  looked  like  silver  dollars  swimming  about  on  their  edges. 

Twelve  months  later  we  were  still  more  successful,  obtaining  tiie  young 
of  both  species  in  Holmes'  Hole.  The  small  Kotind  I'omiianoes.  an  inch 
or  two  in  length,  were  very  beautiful,  their  burnished  sides  shaded  with 
tawny  golden   tints. 

In  1S76,  I  became  familiar  with  three  species  in  the  Hermudas.  the  most 
common  of  which  was  the  Round  I'ompano.  In  the  winter  of  1875  a 
school  of  six  or  seven  hundred  were  seined  on  the  south  shore  of  the  islands. 
.\  large  one  was  confined  in  the  ai[uarium  at  "  Wistow  Lodge,"  the  resi- 
dence of  Hon.  C.  M.  Allen.  This  a(iuarium  is  unifpie,  being  a  circular 
basin,  embowered  in  tropical  vegetation,  and  aerated  by  a  powerful 
foimtain  of  sea  water,  forced  up  by  a  tide-wheel.  In  this  lim])id  pool 
were  many  gorgeously-colored  species,  the  angel-fish,  the  parrot-fish,  the 
rainbow-fish,  the  Spanish-lady,  the  surgeon,  the  jiorcupine,  and  the  ser- 
geant-major. Among  theni,  as  they  softly  floated,  moving  like  scniring 
birds,  flashed  in  and  out  the  Pompano,  with  black-tipped,  streaming  fins, 
only  plainly  visible  when  momentarily  at  rest  in  some  secluded  corner  of 
the  basin.  It  was  the  only  fish  I  have  ever  seen  which  appeared  to  possess 
the  power  of  becoming  [jhosphorescent  at  will.  At  night  we  could  trace 
its  nervous  movements  by  occasional  gleams  of  light,  as  the  fish,  turning 
one  side  toward  us,  touched  with  the  other  the  floor  of  the  basin. 


J 


THE  IIONITO. 


BOXITOi:S  AND  TUNNIES. 


Next  witli  llic  pMiiy  f  ><;,  (lie   Timiiies  luiip, 
I'loiiticu  nil  the  striaiii,  iuul  toss  the  niaiitliiij;  deep, 
Ride  o'or  the  foamy  seas,  witli  torture  rave, 
Dotiiid  into  air,  and  dash  the  smoking  wave. 

<  )i'i'iAN,  T>;insl,iti\i  I'v  J,>)U-s, 


'  I  "TIE  Donito,  Sart/ii  mcditcrranca,  is  one  of  those  fislieswliii  h  appe;)'  to 
live  cliiefiy  in  the  open  ocean,  wandering;  hitlier  and  thithei  in 
large  schools,  preying  upon  other  pelagic  fishes,  and  ajiproaching  land 
only  when  attracted  by  abundance  of  accejitable  food.  Several  of  the 
smaller  species  of  the  group  of  Tunnies,  to  which  it  belongs,  are  known 
to  sailors  by  the  same  name.  The  common  "lionito"  of  luigland.  Orcynus 
pi'lamys,  two  or  three  specimens  of  which  have  been  detected  in  our  waters 
since  1876,  is  what  is  here  called  the  "Striped  Bonito,"  but  the  fish 
which  most  frecjuently  and  in  greatest  numbers  approaches  our  shores  is 
the  one  which  is  named  at  the  head  of  this  section.  Almost  nothing  is 
known  of  its  habits,  and  it  is  even  impossible  to  define  its  geographical 
range  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  its  distribution  being  very  unlike  that 
of  any  other  fish  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  It  maybe  said,  howe\c. 
that  it  is  found  only  in  the  Atlantic  basin.  On  our  coast  it  occurs  in 
summer  between  Cape  May  and  Cape  Sable,  though  rarely  north  of  Cape 
Ann  ;  occasionally  off  Cape  Hatteras  and  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake 
and  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Specimens  have  been  taken  about  the  Can- 
aries and  Madeira,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  in  the  Mediterranean. 
It  has  not  been  observed  on  the  coast  of  Europe  north  of  Ciibraltar,  no' 
at  the  Bermudas. 


iwxrroi'.s  ,l\'d  tcxxies. 


207 


Tlif  l!iiiiit()  does  not  aiipcar  to  h;ni'  licin  almnMant  in  fDrniiT  yoar-;  ;  it 
atii:i(  ti'il  lnit  little  altc'iuion  in  mir  watrrs  ln'turi.'  iSOo,  alth()iiL;li  v.  was 
aiiiuli'd  ti)  ill  1S15  by  Mit(  hill,  in  iS.p  by  ht-'Kay.  ami  in  iS^^  by  (lill  : 
none  (if  tlu^^L-  authors,  howcvir,  ri'^^ardifl  it  as  a  <  iininioii  tniui,  or  <  itt.il 
any  <  (in^idrrablc  ntindur  of  in>tan(  cs  ot'  its  |in.'M,'n(  0. 

A  niitr  from  i'rot".  J.  Ilaniinoiid  'I'riiinbtdl  states:  " 'I'his  I'ish  ii^rd  to 
l)c'  ([uitc  coiiunon,  in  sonic  years,  in  the  StoninL,'ton  market.  I  \\.\\<'  a 
note  of  a  considerable  number  in  market  July  22,  1N4J,  tlu'ir  fir^t  appear- 
ancc  for  the  season." 

Storer  remarkt'd  in  1.S46:  '''I'liis  species,  called  b\- the  fishernuii  in 
Boston  market  the  'Skipjack.'  and  by  those  at  the  extrmiitv  ot'  Caiie 
Cod  the  *  Honito,'  is  very  rarel\inei  with  in  Ma^sai  husetts  l'.a\.  It  is 
occasionally  taken  at  I'rovincetown,  and  e\en  at  l.ynn.  .\t  some  seasons 
it  is  frecjuently  canijht  at  Martha's  \'ineyard  with  trailing:  bait." 

One  of  these  fishes  is  a  mar\el  of  beauty  and  streni,ah.      luerv  line  in 
its  I'ontour  is  suggestive  of  swift    motion.      The   head    is   shajied    like   a 
minic  bullet,    tiie   jaws  fit    togetlier  so   tightly  that   a  knife-edge    (ould 
scarcely  pass  between,  the  eyes  are  hard,  smooth,  their  surt";vces  on  a  per- 
fect level   with  the  adjoining  surfaces.       The  slioulders   are  hea\y   and 
strong,  the  contours  of  the  powert'ul  m.i^->es  of  muscle  gently  and  evenly 
merging  into  the  straighter  lines  in  whicli  the  contour  of  the  body  sIojjcs 
back  to  the  tail.     The  dorsal   fin  is  ])laced  in   a  groove  into  Mhi(  h   it  is 
received,  like  the  blade  of  a  clasp  knife  in  its  handle.     The  pectoral  and 
ventral  fins  also  fit  into  dejiressions  in  th'.  siiles  of  the  fish.     Above  and 
below,  on  the  posterior  third  of  the  body,  are  1  laced  the  little  finlets,  each 
a  little  rudder  with  indejiendent  motions  oi  its  own,  by  whi<h  the  course 
of  the  fish   may  be  readily  steered.      The   tail   itself  is  a  crescent-shaped 
oar,  without  Hesh,    almost  without  scales,  composed   of  bundles  of  ravs 
flexible,  yet  almost  as  hard  as  ivory.     A  single  sweep  of  this  ])owerful  oar 
doubtless  suffices  to  propel   the  Bonito  a  hundred  yards,  for  tiie  polished 
surfaces  of  ith       'dy  can  offer  little  resistance  to  the  water.      I  have  seen 
a  common  clolphKi  swimming  round  and  round  a  steamshij),  advancing  at 
the  rate  of  twelve  knots  an  hour,  the  effort  being  hardly  perceptible.    The 
wild  duck  is  said  to  fly  seventy  miles  in  an  hour.      Who  can  calculate  the 
speed  of  the  Bonito?     It  might  be  done  by  the  aid  of  the  electrical  con- 
trivances by  which  is  calculated  the  initial  velocity  of  a  jirojectile.      The 
Bonitoes  in  our  sounds  to-day  may  have  been  passing  Cape  Colony,  or 
the  Land  of  Fire,  day  before  yesterday. 


.1 


$m 


20S 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


In  1S75,  tlie  earliest  Bonito  was  taken  in  the  R()l)inson's  Hole  weir  July 
7.  and  two  more  came  along  July  24.  They  were  not  abundant  until 
August,  when  many  more  were  taken  in  Vineyard  Sound  by  Oak  IMuffs 
boats,  trolling.  The  fishermen  then  l)elieved  that  they  were  gradually 
increasing  in  numbers  and  importance  and  taking  the  place  of  the  scjue- 
teague  which  was  disajjpearing.  August  7  the  weir  at  Cedar  Tree  Neck  had 
taken  nothing  but  Uonitoes,  while  those  farther  west  at  Menemsha  Bight 
ha<l  taken  only  scpieteague. 

The  Bonito  is  not  so  great  a  favorite  with  the  angler  as  it  deserves  to  be. 
It  is  laught  in  the  vicin.ity  of  Block  Island  with  trolling-hooks.  He 
bites  sharply,  like  a  bluefish.  The  best  bait  is  an  ordinary  bluefish 
hook  with  a  ])etticoat  of  red  and  white  flannel,  though  the  fish  will  also 
take  any  bluefish  lure. 

In  1877  four  smacks  were  constantly  running  between  Block  Island 
and  New  York,  tarrying  each  from  4,000  to  8,000  Bonitoes  a  week,  or 
perhaps  20,000  ])ountls.  The  yield  of  Block  Island  alone  that  summer 
was  probably  not  less  than  2,000,000  pounds.  In  one  haul  of  the  purse- 
seine  by  the  schooner  "Lilian,"  of  Noank,  1,500  were  taken;  and  in 
August,  1874,  1,200  in  one  pound-net. 

On  the  eastern  shore  of  Virginia,  Bonito  are  caught  by  hari)ooning,  says 
Mr.  C.  R.  Moore,  and  also  with  the  hook.  They  are  most  numerous 
about  the  mouth  of  the  York  River.  They  come  in  June  and  leave  in 
September.  It  is  quite  possible,  however,  that  the  Bonito  referred  to  by 
Mr.  Moore  is  (piite  another  fish — the  Cobia,  Elacate  atlantica. 

^Vhen  tested  side  by  side  with  the  bluefish,  at  the  same  table,  the 
Bonito  seems  not  much  inferior,  though  the  flesh  is  somewhat  softer  and 
more  perishable. 

The  Bonito  may  be  ranked  among  the  many  excellent  food-fishes  of  our 
coast,  and,  in  any  country  not  so  abundantly  supplied  with  finely-flavored 
kinds,  it  would  be  considered  of  the  highest  value.  Their  vitality  is  so 
great  and  their  supply  of  blood  so  abundant  that  unless  bled  immediately 
after  capture  their  flesh,  especially  in  warm  weather,  is  apt  to  deteriorate. 
Oreat  quantities  of  them  are  taken  to  New  York,  and  there,  as  well  as  in 
Rhode  Island  and  Connecticut,  they  are  sold  exclusively  under  the  name 
of  "  Spanish  Mackerel,"  at  i-iices  ranging  from  thirty-five  to  fifty  cents  a 
pound.  This  was  the  common  practice  in  1874,  and  has  continued  since. 
The  statement  made  by  Scott    in    1S75,  that   on  account  of  their  rarity 


BOXITOI'.S  AX  J)   TUXXIES. 


J09 


thc\"  were  preferred  to  the  hliierish  ami  strii)eil  bass,  wotilil  not  now  he  true  ; 
his  prediction  that  tiiey  would  in  time  l)econie  as  al)un(hint  as  the  bhie- 
\\>\\  seems,  liowever,  (hirini;  some  years  to  ha\e  l)een  almost  \-erified.  The 
dealers,  by  the  chan^^e  of  name  in  the  market  above  referred  to,  are  able 
to  obtain  a  high  price  for  a  I'lsh  which,  under  its  own  nanv,  would  be 
looked  upon  with  suspicion.  An  absurd  report  that  the  Honitowas  poison- 
ous was  current  in  i^'^y.;,  probably  owing  to  the  fact  that  similar  fish  taken 
in  warm  climates  are  sometimes  deleterious. 

In  i'S75  the  ordinary  jirice  in  Xew  \'ork  was  one  <'ent  apiece,  though 
in  the  wholesale  markets  they  commanded  the  same  ]>rice  as  bluefish,  and 
manv  were  sold,  as  has  Ijeen  stated,  at  the  high  rates  of  Sjianish  NEackerel. 
The  market  was  so  glutted  that  many  of  the  vessels  could  not  ilispose  of 
their  cargoes. 

According  to  Stearns,  our  lionito  occurs  also  in  the  (lulfof  Mexico, 
v.here  it  is  e\erywhere  abundant,  and  is  found  in  the  bays  on  the  Florida 
coast.  It  usually  moves,  according  to  the  same  authority,  at  the  surt'ace 
of  the  water  in  small  schools.  At  sea  it  is  found  throughout  the  year,  and 
along  the  shcjre  only  in  the  summer.  Small  schools  are  sometimes  taken 
in  drag-seines  in  shallow  water.  Its  market  value  at  Tcnsacola  is  not 
great,  although  it  has  become  an  article  of  food. 

A  writer  in  the  P r  or  iiic  11  tc  Journal  \\\\\\,  1S71,  remarked:  '' T>ast  night 
I  had  a  fish  on  my  table  which  they  said  was  a  kind  of  Spanish  Mackerel; 
the  moment  I  tasted  it  I  said  it  was  a  IJonito,  having  eaten  it  thirty  years 
since,  on  my  first  voyage  to  India,  and  the  taste  had  never  been  forgotten. 
It  is  the  salmon  of  the  sea.  Mark  its  solidity  of  flesh,  its  great  weight, 
its  purity  of  taste,  entire  absence  of  the  slightly  decayed  taste  all  fish  has 
during  warn;  weather.  It  is  as  nourishing  as  beef,  and  Bonito  is  the 
worthy  rival  of  the  Spanish  mackerel  and  the  sheepshead." 

They  seem  first  to  have  attractetl  the  attention  of  New  England  authori- 
ties about  1865.  (ienio  ('.  Scott,  writing  in  1875,  remarks:  "Mis  first 
arrival  along  our  beaches  and  in  our  bays  was  about  eight  years  ago,  and 
his  shoals  have  increased  remarkably  fast  ever  since  his  ailvent.  As  a 
table  luxury  it  ranks,  with  epicures,  below  the  striped  bass  and  bluefish, 
but  because  of  its  comparative  rarity  it  commands  a  price  rather  al)ove 
either.  The  numbers  of  this  fish  annually  taken  about  the  approaches  to 
our  harbors  with  the  troll  and  in  nets  has  increased  so  much  that  it  bids 
fair  to  become  nearly  as  numerous  as  the  bluefish." 


M 


li''t 


210 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


^  ■ 


Each  summer  the  schools  now  range  the  ocean  between  Ca])e  Cod  and 
Cape  Hattcras.  and  al)oiit  Bkxk  Island  and  the  eastern  end  of  Long 
Island  fabulous  quantities  are  often  captured. 

The  habits  of  the  Bonito  are  similar  to  those  of  the  bluefish,  though  it 
is,  if  ])ossil)le,  even  more  activo  and  more  an  embodiment  of  perpetual  and 
insatiable  hunger.  'J'hey  come  at  the  same  time,  they  leave  the  coast 
simultaneously,  they  prey  in  company  upon  menhaden  and  mackerel,  and 
together  they  are  often  caught  in  the  fisherman's  gill-net  or  are  detained 
in  the  labyrinths  of  tlie  ])0und-net.  The  two  kinds  of  fish  do  not,  it  is 
supposed,  mingle,  but  the  regiments  rush  to  battle  side  by  side. 

Sometimes  two  lines  in  one  boat  will  fasten  at  the  same  time  a  bluefish 
and  a  Bonito.  The  Bonito,  like  the  bluefish,  appear  to  be  attracted  to 
our  waters  by  the  great  schools  of  mackerel  and  menhaden,  upon  which 
they  feed. 

Schools  of  Bonitoes  cause  more  commotion  than  those  of  bluefish  ;  they 
spring  out  of  the  water,  and  are  visible  at  long  distances.  They  are 
attended  by  the  same  schools  of  screaming  gulls  and  terns,  and  leave  in 
their  track  similar  "  slicks  "  of  oil  and  blood. 

The  Bonito  is  an  alien  m  our  seas.  It  comes  here  only  for  food,  and 
in  winter  disappears  entirely.  It  docs  not,  like  the  bluefish,  follow  the 
trend  of  the  coast  to  the  south,  to  jiass  the  cold  months  off  the  shoals  of 
Hattcras.  No  very  young  individuals  of  this  kind  have  ever  been  obtained 
in  the  western  Atlantic,  although  young  bluefish,  from  two  to  eight  inches 
long,  may  be  caught  in  summer  by  tens  of  thousands  on  any  sand  beach 
south  of  Monomoy.  Genio  C.  Scott  records  the  capture  of  one  in 
Jamaica  Bay  in  1874  weighing  less  than  a  pound,  and  which  he  believes 
to  have  been  hatched  the  previous  year.  The  Fish  Commission  also  has 
one  of  the  same  size  taken  off  Southern  New  England.  Charles  Potter, 
of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  states  that  small  specimens,  six  inches  in  length,  were 
from  1870  to  1874  frequently  taken  late  in  the  fall  in  the  weirs  at  Fisher's 
Island. 

A  fish  weighing  ten  i)ounds  measures  twenty-eight  to  twenty-nine 
inches;  eight  pounds,  twenty-seven  to  twenty-eight  inches  ;  seven  pounds, 
twenty-six  to  twenty-seven  inches  ;  six  pounds,  twenty-five  to  twenty-six 
inches  ;  four  pounds,  twenty-two  to  twenty-three  inches.  There  have  not 
yet  been  found  in  the  adults  any  traces  of  mature  spawn,  though  one  taken 
off  Norwalk  July  23,  1S74,  had   the  eggs  well   formed   though  not  nearly 


t 


jiox/Tor.s  jxn  7r.vx//:s. 


2\  I 


mature.  Tlie  hrcfding  groiimls  of  the  P.onito.  like  those  of  the  s\vonlfisli. 
are  (h)ubtless  in  some  remote  (luarler  of  tlie  L,dol)e.  The  swonlfisli  sjiawns 
in  tlie  Mediterranean,  if  nowliere  else.  The  sjiet  ies  is  cosmopolitar,  and 
oecurs  in  nearly  every  ([iiarter  of  the  t;lol)e,  though  j)erha])s  nowhere  in 
greater  abundanc  e  than  aloni,^  our  own  shores. 

On  the  California  coast  occurs  a  closely  related  s])ecies.  the  Tacific 
Bonito,  Stjn/a  chilctisis,  \\\\'\(\\  is  thus  des(  rihed  by  J'rof.  Jordan  : 

*'' This  fish  is  everywhere  known  as  the  ISonito.  The  names  '  Sjianish 
Mai'kcrel,'  '  Skijijack  '  and  'Tuna'  are  also  sometimes  applied  to  it.  It 
reaches  an  average  weight  of  about  twelve  jiounds.  but  the  bodv  is  con- 
siderably longer  and  more  slender  than  that  of  an  Albicore  of  the  same 
■weight.  It  ranges  from  San  Franc  isco  southward  to  C'.iili,  being  abund- 
ant in  Monterey  15ay  and  about  the  Santa  I'arbara  Islands  in  the  summer 
and  fall.  It  approaches  to  within  half  a  mile  of  the  shore,  where,  in 
company  with  the  barracuda,  it  is  taken  in  great  numl)ers  by  trolling. 
It  spawns  in  August  or  September.  Its  arrival  is  in  early  sMinuier  and  its 
departure  in  the  fall,  at  which  season  the  young  are  said  to  be  found 
abundantly  in  the  kelp.  It  feeds  chielly  on  anclio\ies  and  s(iuiils.  As 
a  food-fish  it  is  not  held  in  high  esteem,  the  llsh  being  coarse,  dreat 
numbers  are  salted  and  dried,  and  are  in  that  state  considered  far  inferior 
to  the  barracuda  and  yellow-tail." 

The  Striped  Uonito,  Orcyims  ptiaiiiys,  already  mentioned,  is  dis- 
tinguished from  other  species  by  the  presence  of  four  dark  lines,  which 
begin  at  the  pectoral  fin  and  run  along  the  side  of  the  belly  to  the  tail, 
the  sides  of  tlie  common  Bonito  l)eing  of  a  silvery  white.  This  species, 
is  occasionally  taken  on  the  European  coast,  but  has  rarely  been  known 
to  enter  the  [Mediterranean.  It  is  found  in  the  Pacific  on  the  coast 
of  China  and  Japan,  and  is  the  species  most  commonly  known  to  mariners 
as  the  Bonito,  or  Albicore,  of  the  activity  and  voracity  of  which,  as 
observed  from  the  dec  ks  of  Aessels  at  sea,  so  many  descriptions  ha\e  been 
written.  The  first  individual  on  our  coast  was  that  seen  by  Mr.  liarnet 
Phillips  in  1876.  Another  was  taken  by  Mr.  J.  IT.  Blake  at  Pro\ince- 
town  in  July,  1S77.  Others  have  since  been  observed  at  AVoods  I  loll  and 
in  the  New  York  markets.  The  ca])turc  of  the  Stri])ed  Bonito  is  a 
favorite  subject  with  Japanese  artists.  I  have  seen  many  drawings  and 
])rints  in  Jajjanesc  books,  in  which  the  characteristic  forni  a;id  markings 
of  this  fish  are  faithfully  delineated.  The  Japanese  appear  to  catch  it  in 
^•re;it  cjuantities,  with  rod,  line,  and  hook. 


I  \  ' 


21: 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


One  of  the  American  men-of-war  of  Revolutionary  times  was  named 
"  Bonetta,"  after  the  fishes  of  this  group. 

In  addition  to  the  Striped  Bonito,  which  is,  properly,  a  Tunny,  we 
have  in  American  Avaters  two  other  small  Tunnies — the  Long-finned 
Tunny,  OrcyiiKS  alaloiiga,  and  the  Silver-spotted  Tunny,  Orcynits  argr/i- 
tivittatus — which  have  since  1877  been  added  to  the  fauna  of  the  United 
States. 

The  former  of  these  two  occurs  in  considerable  abundance  on  the  coast 
of  California,  and  is  there  also  known  as  the  Albicore.  Concerning  it 
Frof.  Jordan  writes  :  "  This  fish  reaches  a  weight  of  about  twelve  pounds. 
and  is  much  shorter  and  deeper  than  the  Bonito  of  the  Pacific.  It  is 
found  from  San  Francisco  southward,  but  is  abundant  only  in  the  chan- 
nels about  the  Santa  Barbara  Islands.  It  seldom  comes  within  six  miles 
of  the  shore,  and  it  is  taken  by  trolling.  It  spawns  about  the  middle  of 
August,  its  arrival  on  the  coast  being  determined  by  the  spawning  season. 
It  usually  is  present  in  June  and  July  and  disappears  in  the  fall.  It  feeds 
chiefly  on  anchovies  and  scjuids,  and  various  deep-water  fishes  [Mcrliicius, 
Siidis,  Myctophuin)  are  found  in  its  stomach.  As  a  food-fish  it  is  even 
less  valued  than  the  Bonito,  rarely  selling  for  more  than  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  cents.  It  is  abundant,  but  of  little  economic  importance,  being 
usually  fished  for  by  sportsmen." 

The  Albicore,  Orcynus  allitcratiis,  known  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  where 
it  is  confounded  by  the  fishermen  with  other  similar  species,  as  the 
"  Bonito,"  and  in  the  Mediterranean  by  the  names  "  Tonnina  "  (Trieste), 
"  Carcane  "  (Venice),  and  "  Tauna  "  (Nice),  has  a  geographical  range 
very  similar  to  that  of  the  Bonito,  except  that  it  is  found  in  the  Pacific  on 
the  east  coast  of  Japan,  and  in  the  Malay  Archipelago.  It  has  also  been 
recorded  from  Cuba,  Brazil  and  the  Bermudas.  This  active  species,  which 
attains  the  weight  of  from  thirty  to  forty  pounds,  first  made  its  appearance 
in  our  waters  in  1871,  when  several  large  schools  were  observed  by  the 
Fish  Commission  in  Buzzard's  Bay  and  the  Vineyard  Sound.  Nearly 
every  year  since  they  have  been  seen  in  greater  or  less  numbers  ;  but,  as 
they  are  of  little  value  for  food,  no  effort  has  been  made  to  capture  them, 
nor  are  they  often  brought  to  the  markets.  This  species,  known  at  the 
Bermudas  as  the  "Mackerel,"  is  frequently  seen  in  the  markets  at 
Hamilton  and  St.  Georges. 

In  the  Mediterranean  its  flesh  is  considered  to  be  very  excellent.     ^ly 


BONJTOES  AM)   7  iWXJJlS. 


jwn  experiments  with  it  arc  hardly  c ont'irniatory  of  this  statcnient,  Imt  in 
Southern  ICurope  all  the  fishes  of  this  family  are  very  hii;hly  esteemed,  and 
that  it  is  not  appreciated  with  ns  is  jierhajis  due  to  tiie  fact  that  we  do  not 
know  how  to  cook  them.  1  find  tlie  followint^  note  bv  I'rof.  lUiird: 
"  Flesh,  -when  cooked,  dark  brown  all  around  the  backbone,  elsewhere 
(piite  dark,  jjrecisely  like  horse-mackerel.  Mesh  \ery  firm.  comi)act  and 
sweet." 

Stearns  records  its  freipient  occurrence  in  the  (lidf  of  Mexico,  where  he 
has  observed  individual  sjiecimens  at  Pensacola  and  Key  West. 

The  habits  of  this  fish  ha\e  not  been  s])ecially  studied,  but  there  is  no 
reason  to  doubt  that  they  correspond  closely  with  those  of  others  of  the 
same  family. 

The  Frigate  Mackerel,  ^h/x/s  thazaiui,  is  a  species  which  has  lately  made 
its  ajipearance  in  our  waters,  none  having  been  observed  before  i.SSo, 
wlien  they  came  in  almost  countless  numbers.  Jt  is  yet  to  be  determined 
whether  it  is  to  be  a  ])ermanent  accession  to  our  fauna.  The  United 
States  Fish  Commission  obtained  numerous  specimens,  twenty-eight  bar- 
rels having  been  taken  in  a  mackerel  seine  ten  miles  cast  of  IJlock  Island 
on  August  3,  i88o,  by  the  schooner  "American  F^agle,"  Cajit.  J(.)shua 
Chase,  of  Provincctown,  Mass. 

The  Irrigate  Mackerel  resembles,  in  some  j^articulars,  the  common 
^Mackerel  ;  in  others,  the  I5onito,  the  genus  Aiixis  being  intermediate  in 
its  cluiracter  between  the  Scomber  and  the  related  genera  Pclamys  and 
Orcy litis.  It  has  the  two  dorsal  fins  remote  from  each  other  as  in  Scomber, 
and  the  general  form  of  the  body  is  slender,  like  that  of  the  Mackerel. 
Tl..  body  is,  however,  somewhat  stouter,  and,  instead  of  being  covered 
with  small  scales  of  uniform  size,  has  a  corselet  of  larger  scales  under  and 
behind  the  jicctoral  fins.  Instead  of  the  two  small  keels  upon  each  side 
of  the  tail,  which  are  so  noticeable  in  the  Mackerel,  it  has  the  single, 
more  prominent  keel  of  the  Bonito  and  the  Tunny.  Its  color  is  greyish- 
blue,  something  like  that  of  the  pollock,  the  belly  being  ligh.ter  than  the 
back.  Under  the  posterior  part  of  the  body,  above  the  lateral  line,  are  a 
few  cloudings  or  maculations  resembling  those  of  the  Mackerel.  The 
occurrence  of  a  large  school  of  this  beautiful  species  in  our  waters  is  very 
noteworthy,  for  the  fish  now  for  the  first  time  observed  are  very  jjossibly 
the  precursors  of  numerous  schools  yet  to  follow. 

The  Frigate  Mackerel  has  been  observed  in  the  West  Indies,  and  other 


:l 


it\ 


h 


'r.     ! 


■  I 


214 


AMERICAy  FISHES. 


l)arts  of  the  trojiical  Atlantic,  as  well  as  on  the  coast  of  Europe.  In  (ireat 
Britain  it  is  called  the  "  Plain  Bonito."  It  is  not  unusual  in  the  Bermu- 
das, where  it  is  called  the  "  Frigate  Mackerel,"  a  name  not  inai)propriate 
for  adoi)tion  in  this  country,  since  its  general  appearance  is  more  like 
that  of  the  Mackerel  than  the  bonito,  while  in  swiftness  and  strength  it  is 
more  like  the  larger  members  of  this  family.  It  is  the  "  Timberello"  of 
the  Adriatic  fisher-folk. 

In  the  Mediterranean  there  is  a  regular  fishery  for  this  species,  which 
is  prosecuted  from  May  until  Sei^tember,  and  they  are  also  taken  in  great 
numbeis  in  the  Tunny  nets. 

Since  the  first  appearance  of  this  fish  many  new  observations  of  its 
abundance  have  been  received.  These  fish  appeared  to  have  come  in 
immense  schools  into  the  waters  between  Montauk  Point  and  George's 
l»ank  ;  and  from  Mr.  Clarke's  statements  it  appears  that  they  have  been 
observed  in  small  numbers  by  fishermen  in  previous  years.  Several  vessels 
have  come  into  Newport  recently  reporting  their  presence  in  immense 
numbers  in  the  vicinity  of  Block  Island.  It  will  interest  the  "  ichthyo- 
phagists  "  to  know  that  several  persons  in  Newport  have  tested  the  fish, 
and  pronounce  it  inferior  to  the  bonito.  Part  of  the  flesh,  that  on  the 
posterior  part  of  the  body,  is  white,  but  behind  the  gills  it  is  black  and 
rank,  while  the  meat  near  the  backbone  is  said  to  be  of  disagreeable,  sour 
flavor. 

It  is  hard  to  predict  what  its  influence  will  be  upon  other  fishes  already 
occupying  our  waters.  Its  mouth  is  small  and  its  teeth  feeble,  so  that  it 
is  hardly  likely  to  become  a  ravager,  like  the  bonito  and  the  bluefish. 
There  is  little  probability,  on  the  other  hand,  that  its  advent  will  be  of 
any  special  importance  from  an  economical  point  of  view,  for  its  oil  does 
not  seem  to  be  very  abundant,  and  it  will  hardly  pay  at  present  to  capture 
it  solely  for  the  purpose  of  using  its  flesh  in  the  manufacture  of  fertilizers. 

It  is  very  important  that  any  observation  made  upon  this  species  in 
years  to  come  should  be  reported  to  the  United  States  Fish  Commission. 
The  length  of  those  I  have  seen  ranges  from  twelve  to  sixteen  inches,  and 
their  weight  from  three-quarters  of  a  pound  to  a  pound  and  a  half  or  more. 
Those  sent  to  New  York  market  were  part  of  the  lot  taken  by  the  schooner 
"  American  Eagle  "  and  brought  into  Newport,  whence  they  were  shipped 
by  Mr.  Thompson,  a  fish  dealer  of  that  ])lace.  It  would  require  from 
eighty  to  one  hundred  of  them  to  fill  a  barrel  ;  so  the  estimate  of  Capt. 


BOX!  TOES  AX  J)   TiXX/ES. 


215 


Riggs,  that  there  arc  a  thousand  barrels  in  one  of  the  st:liools,  shows  how 
exceedingly  abundant  they  must   be. 

Capt.  N.  IC.  Atwood,  of  Provincetown,  Mass.,  the  veteran  fisherniaii- 
ichthyologist,  has  examined  the  specimens,  and  is  satist'ied  that  they 
belong  to  the  same  species  with  a  fish  whic  h  he  found  abundant  in  the 
Azores  in  1840,  when,  led  by  the  reports  of  Cape  Coil  whalers,  he  went  to 
these  islands  in  search  of  the  Mackerel,  the  mackerel  fishing  being  poor  at 
home.  No  Afackerel  were  found  except  the  Frigate  Mackerel.  Reports 
in  18S7,  concerning  this  occurrence  of  Mackerel  in  the  ICastern  Atlantic 
are  very  probably  inspired  by  the  presence  of  this  fish. 

The  Horse  Mackerel,  so-called,  Orcyinis  tliyiiniis,  is  the  most  important 
of  the  Tunnies,  the  "  'Jon  "  or  "  Tuna"  of  the  Meiliterranean,  and  the 
'•  Tunny"  of  English-speaking  people. 

The  distribution  of  this  fish  corresponds  more  closely  with  that  of  the 
ordinary  species  of  the  Atlantic,  since  it  occurs  not  only  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  the  Western  Atlantic  north  to  the  Culf  of  St.  Lawrence,  but 
also  on  the  coast  of  Europe  to  the  Loffoden  Islands,  latitude  69°. 

Of  this  fish,  as  found  in  American  waters,  our  naturalists  have  not  much 
to  say,  the  species,  although  abundant  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  off 
particular  parts  of  the  coast,  being  not  a  very  familiar  one  to  our  writers. 
They  seem  to  be  rather  a  northern  fish,  and  are  said  by  Storer  to  make 
their  first  ajjpearance  on  our  shores  about  Provincetown  early  in  June, 
remaining  until  October.  Of  late  years  they  seem  to  be  increasing  in 
abundance  northward,  becoming  more  and  more  common  during  the 
summer  season  at  Newfoundland. 

In  1878  Capt.  Henry  Webb,  of  Milk  Island,  near  Gloucester,  harpooned 
and  killed  thirty  of  these  monsters,  weighing  in  the  aggregate  at  least 
thirty  thousand  pounds.  They  had  entered  his  pound  in  pursuit  of  small 
fish,  cutting  without  difficulty  through  the  netting.  One  had  his  stomach 
full  of  small  mackerel. 

According  to  Capt.  Atwood,  on  their  first  appearance  in  Massachusetts 
Bay  they  are  very  poor,  but  by  the  beginning  of  September  become  quite 
fat  and  are  very  much  hunted  for  the  oil,  the  head  and  belly  especially 
furnishing  sometimes  as  many  as  twenty  gallons.  They  are  harpooned 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  much  like  the  Sword-fish. 

The  early  traditions  of  this  fish  in  Massachusetts  Bay  speak  of  them  as 
being  sometimes  so  tame  as  to  take   food  from   the  hand  ;   but  they  have 


i\G 


AMKRICAX  J'ISJfES. 


"W  \ 


loiiLf  since'  yi\  en  np  tliis  engaging  luibit.  'i'his  s])C(ics  attains  a  very  great 
size.  One  spei  inien,  taken  in  1838  off  Caj)e  Ann,  measured,  aic'ortling  t(j 
Dr.  Storer,  fit'teen  feet  in  length,  and  weighed  one  thousand  pounds,  while 
still  larger  individuals  tlian  this  are  known  to  ha\e  heen  captured. 

'I'iieir  food  while  in  our  waters  consists,  it  is  said,  mainly  of  menhaden, 
of  which  they  destroy  a  vast  number.  'J'iieir  inclosure  in  the  fishermen's 
nets  is  not  much  desired,  as  they  are  apt  to  become  entangled  in  them 
;ind  to  do  much  injury  in  their  efforts  to  escape.  'I'hey  are  i)ursued  by  the 
killer  whales,  before  which  they  llee  in  great  terror.  A  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  this  i)ursuit  is  given  below  in  the  words  of  Capt.  Atwood. 

Strange  to  say,  although  highly  jjrized  in  the  Old  World  from  the  time 
of  the  ancient  Romans  to  the  i)resent  da)',  they  are  seldom,  if  ever,  used 
for  food  in  the  United  States,  where  their  llesh  is  not  esteemed,  being 
rarely,  if  ever  eaten,  although  much  used  for  mackerel  bait.  It  is,  how- 
c\er,  more  in  favor  in  the  Provinces.  Although  occurring  in  large  numbers 
and  of  remarkable  size,  no  effort  is  made  toward  their  capture  ;  and  though 
not  unfrecjuently  taken  in  weirs  and  pounds  along  the  coast,  they  are  always 
allowed  to  rot  on  the  shore.  Occasionally  a  portion  of  the  flesh  may  be 
used  as  food  for  chickens,  but  seldom,  if  ever,  for  human  consumjjtion. 

In  the  Mediterranean  the  Tunny  is  taken  in  large  nets,  known  as 
"  madragues,"  similar  in  many  res])ects  to  the  so-called  "  traps  ' '  of  Secon- 
net  River  in  Rhode  Island.  The  fish  are  used  jjartly  fresh  and  i)artly  salted, 
and  they  are  put  up  in  oil  to  a  considerable  extent  and  largely  consumed 
in  all  the  Latin  countries  of  luirope.  Considerable  quantities  are  salted 
and  canned,  and  canned  Tunny  of  European  manufacture  is  ini])orted  to 
New  York  in  small  cpiantities.  'J'he  flesh  is  dark  and  not  usually  attrac- 
tive, although  wholesome.  They  appear  to  attain  a  greater  size  in 
America  than  in  Europe,  one  of  five  hundred  jjounds  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean being  considered  rather  a  monster,  while  in  America  their  weight  is 
not  unfretpiently  given  at  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  i)ounds. 

Nothing  definite  is  known  in  regard  to  their  mode  of  reproduction. 
The  eggs  are  said  to  be  deposited  early  in  June,  and  the  young  at  hatch- 
ing, according  to  Yarrell,  weigh  an  ounce  and  a  half,  reaching  a  weight 
of  four  ounces  by  August,  and  thirty  ounces  by  October. 

Mr.  Matthew  Jones,  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  writes:  "The  Tunny  is 
very  common  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  in  summer,  and  is 
Imown  to  fishermen  and  others  as  the  'Albicore.'     The  Rev.  J.  Ambrose 


BONiroKs  Axn  rixxiEs. 


-'7 


informs  mc  tliat  it  iv.milariy  \isits  St.  Mar^^iivt's  I'.ay  I'xcry  summer, 
several  s|)ecimens  Wwvj^  taken  and  rendereil  down  tor  oil.  They  were 
particidarly  abimdant  in  1S76.  Thev  are  not  seen  in  the  IJasin  of 
Minas." 

Accordinif  to  Dr.  lortin  the  Horse  Mackerel  is  ijuite  almiidant  in  the 
Ciulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  especially  in  the  Days  of  Chaleur  and  of  (laspe,  and 
also  in  the  Straits  of  Helle  Isle  and  lUancs  SaMon  Day.  it  is  taken  in 
increasint,^  nmnbers  in  the  ,unlt',  jiartl)-  by  spearini,^  and  partlv  by  baiting. 
l''or  this  latter  i)urpose  strong-  steel  hooks  are  used  tied  to  solid  lines  and 
baited  with  herrinl,^  'J'his  tishinj,^  is  prosecuted  more  i)articidarly  in  the 
liay  of  Chaleitr  and  off  Caracpiette,  where  in  1X65  over  one  himdred  were 
captiireil.  The  fishing  is  (juitc  exciting,  although  tiresome  and  recpiiring 
a  good  deal  of  skill,  as  in  the  efforts  of  the  fishes  to  escape  they  pull  with 
such  violence  as  to  endanger  tlie  lives  of  the  fishermen  by  dragging  them 
overboard.* 

Capt.  Atwood  contributes  the  following  note  on  Horse  Mackerel  in 
Cai)e  Cod  Hay : 

"  They  don't  come  till  the  weather  gets  warm.  AVe  don't  see  them  at 
first  when  we  begin  setting  mackerel  nets.  l)Ut  about  June  they  are  li;d)le 
to  appear,  and  we  find  holes  in  the  nets.  Sometimes  in  September  they 
gill  them  for  the  sake  of  their  oil.  My  brother  had  forty-seven  holes 
through  one  eighty-yard  nei  in  one  night,  ^^'hen  they  strike  a  net  they 
go  right  through  it,  and  when  they  go  through  it  the  hole  immediately 
becomes  round.  It  looks  as  if  you  could  i)Ut  a  half  bushel  through  it. 
I  said  in  my  Lowell  Institute  lei  tures  that  a  shark  in  going  through  a  net 
would  roll  himself  up  in  it,  but  the  Horse  Mackerel  get  right  through, 
and  the  hole  they  cut  could  be  mended  in  five  minutes.  Tlie  fishermen 
don't  dread  them  much  because  they  do  the  nets  so  little  injury.  They 
remain  with  us  through  the  summer  and  early  autumn,  when  they  are 
killed  for  the  oil.  When  they  are  here  they  feed  U])on  any  small  fish,  and 
when  menhaden  were  here  I  have  seen  them  drive  the  harbor  full  of  them. 
I  have  seen  the  Horse  Mackerel  swallow  dogfish  whole  weighing  eight 
])ounds.  As  fast  as  we  got  out  the  livers  of  the  dogfish  they  would  catch 
them  and  eat  them.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  whiting  here  at  that  time. 
They  have  almost  totally  disappeared.  The  Horse  Mackerel  seems  to  be 
the  enemy  of  all  kinds  of  fish.      There   is   nothing  to   trouble  the   Horse 

*  Canadian  Fishery  Report  for  1862-63. 


J 


Ms    '< 

Mr  ■■  •■ 


! 


2lS 


A.UERICAN  JJSJ/ES. 


Markcril  until  the  killer  (oincs,  ;ui(l  then  they  know  it,  1  tell  yon.  Thrn 
the  H()r>e  Mac  kerel  will  run  !  Sonic  fishermen  say  that  they  have  seen  a 
killiT  jioke  his  lu'ad  out  of  the  water  with  a  Horse  Mackerel  in  his  nioiith. 
1  have  known  a  Horse  Ma<  kerel  to  yield  twenty-three  gallons  of  oil.  The 
averaj,'e  si/.e  is  about  eight  feet  in  length." 

This  is  a  book  devoted  to  American  Fishes,  but  the  Tunny,  thoi'.gh  an 
.\merican  fish,  is  not  the  foundation  of  an  American  fishery.  In  time  we 
shall  no  doubt  have  a  tunny  fishery  of  our  own,  and  as  a  step  toward  the 
consummation  of  that  result,  I  ([uotc  a  description  of  madrague  fishing  in 
Sicily,  from  the  e\er-delightful  pen  of  Dr.  15adham  : 

"  It  was  early  in  the  morning  of  a  lovely  August  day — never  since  we 
had  been  in  Sicily  had  the  water  looked  more  blue,  nor  the  cactus-crowned 
heights  of  Monte  Pelegrino  more  inviting — that  we  put  ol'f  in  a  boat  from 
the  l>ay  off  Palermo,  and  ordered  our  barcaroles  to  jnill  for  the  tonnaro, 
or  i)lace  where  the  madrague  lay,  about  a  mile  from  shore  ;  to  seaward  all 
was  smooth  ;  not  a  ripple  broke  the  oleaginous  expanse  stretched  before 
us,  mapped  with  floating  corks,  and  indicating,  as  accurately  as  on  a 
ground-plan,  the  whole  extent  and  figure  of  the  mighty  decoy — a  town  in- 
deed in  si/.e  ;  having  pulled  from  one  end  to  the  other  of  the  long 
faubourg,  to  the  first  submarine  barrier,  and  then  glided  over  it,  we  rowed 
with  increased  speed  between  battlements  of  cork  and  motionless  buoys, 
and  soon  came  to  the  spot,  towards  which  some  boats  a  little  in  advance 
of  our  own  had  been  driving  a  shoal  of  thunnies,  like  a  flock  of  timid 
sheep.  '  I'ACo  la  camera  della  morte  ;  siamo  giuntil'  exclaimed  both 
rowers  at  once,  shipping  their  oars,  and  staring  down  into  the  depths  to 
see  what  might  be  there  :  we  did  the  same  ;  but  not  discovering  anything, 
the  men  resumed  the  oars,  and  in  a  few  seconds  laid  us  alongside  an  an- 
chored barge, — one  or  two,  which  were  placed  as  guards  over  each  end 
of  the  'chamber  of  death.'  The  first  served  as  the  point  iV  appui  for  the 
nets,  which  were  being  worked  up  from  the  near  side  of  the  opposite 
vessel.  A  crowd  of  fishermen  were  busy  tugging  away  at  what  seemed  to 
our  impatience  an  endless-,  cordage  ;  by  the  shortening  of  which,  however, 
as  the  boat  duly  received  it,  layer  after  layer,  coil  upon  coil,  and  fold 
\\\^o\\  fold,  they  were  slowly  bringing  up  the  reticuled  wall  from  the 
bottom.  Whilst  waiting  the  result  we  had  time  to  notice  the  fine  propor- 
tions of  the  men,  who,  leaning  over  the  sides  of  the  boat,  or  standing  on 
its  benches,  exhibited  their  athletic  and  agile  forms  picturesqu^V  grouped 
and  engaged  in  all  those  varieties  of  muscular  action  which  each  man's 
share  in  the  labors  severally  demanded.  A  fine  figure  is,  according  to 
Oppian,  a  prime  qualification  in  a  fisherman  ; 

First  be  the  fisher's  limbs  compact  and  sound, 
With  solid  flesh  and  well-braced  sinews  bound  : 


jiox/ /()/:s  AX/)  ri  wxies. 


319 


Let  due  porportion  evtry  part  coinnuiul, 

Nor  k-aiuiL'ss  sliriiik  tou  iiuu.li,  iiur  f.it  (listeml.* 

And  nioif  jifrffct  fi^'iirfs  than  tlicirs  pot'try  coiild  not  (K'scribc,  nor  the 
(lassie  (  hisfl  of  (ircc(  c  portray;  every  man  was  an  At  adeiny  model  ;  to 
perte(t  symmetry  of  liml)  wore  ad<led  (hirk  Hashing  eyes,  jet  l)hi(lv  hair, 
i)eard,  antl  moustai  he  ;  irreproat  halile  noses,  ivory  teeth,  and  the  ri(  h- 
(ohired  complexion  of  the  South.  What  a  contrast  to  a  body  of 
sandy-haired,  fre<kled,  liard-featured,  stockingless  Highlanders,  landing 
from  a  Scotch  steamboat,  and  (  hallenging,  by  their  self-satisfied  air,  atten- 
tion to  an  ungainly  gait  and  kno(  k-kneed  deformity  of  person  I 

Presently  a  simultaneous  shout  proclaimetl,  -I.a  jiijja  I  la  jiipa  !' — our 
own  boatmen,  after  repeating  the  cry,  informe(l  us  that  a  sword-fish,  or 
|)ipa.  as  the  Palermo  sailors  designate  it.  had  been  seen  to  enter  the  decoy 
with  the  thunny,  and  must  now  l)e  in  the  net,  as  the  flooring  had  been 
drawn  up  several  fathoms,  the  iiipa  presently  swam  towards  the  surface,  to 
see  what  was  the  matter,  and  some  well-practised  eyes  having  caught  a 
first  glimpse  of  him,  the  crews  testifietl  their  tlelight  by  three  loud  vocifera- 
tions. Frightened  by  the  noise  and  the  confused  scene  above,  the  long 
form  of  the  fish  might  soon  be  distinguished,  shooting  now  here,  now 
there,  athwart  the  hemjjcn  ( ourt  ;  he  rose  at  last,  in  much  agitation,  to 
the  top,  but  instantly  ilived  down  again,  scattering  the  spray  far  and  wide 
with  a  lash  of  his  powerful  tail.  This  i)lunge  only  carried  him  among  the 
trembling  thunnies,  pelamyds,  and  alalongas,  which  covered  the  bottom 
of  the  net  ;  then  up  he  came  again,  to  finil  every  eye  looking  fishy,  and 
every  hand  ready  to  deal  the  fatal  blow.  Like  a  startletl  horse  in  a  high- 
fenced  i^addock,  the  sword-l'ish  now  careered  round  and  roimd  the 
enclosure,  vainly  seeking  an  exit  by  which  to  bolt,  but  finding  none,  he 
backed  a  moment,  then,  swifter  than  thought,  rushed  on  the  net,  ran  his 
long  weapon  through,  and  made  a  large  hole  in  the  meshes  ;  but  becoming 
hojjelessly  entangled,  his  fate  was  sealed,  and  death  followed  fast ;  one 
lusty  arm  throws  a  heavy  harpoon,  and  misses  ;  another  with  more  steady 
aim,  antl  a  lighter  missile,  hits  and  wounds  the  fish,  who,  staggered  at  the 
blow,  fiounders  from  side  to  side,  while  the  clear  blue  waves  are  stained 
all  round  with  his  blood  ;  in  a  few  seconds  a  dozen  barbed  poles  lie  deep 
in  the  poor  pipa's  flank,  and  after  throwing  up  a  whirlpool  of  discolored 
water,  as  the  blows  of  the  fishermen  rain  faster  anil  faster  upon  their 
victim,  the  crimson  of  the  flood  deepens,  and  in  less  than  a  minute  from 
the  first  wound  the  gashed  carcass  of  the  great  scomber  is  poised  up  safely 
into  the  boat,  with  a  triumphant  shout.  '  Five  scudi,  my  lads,  for  our 
share'.'  exclaims  one  of  the  excited  mariners,  as  they  lay  him  at  last  at 
the  bottom  :  and  'Bless  the  Virgin  and  St.  Anthony,'  says  another,  'there 
is  not  much  damage  done  this  time  to  the  net.'  '  Now,  signor,  we  shall 
presently  see  the  thunny,'  cried  out  our  barcaroles;   and  accordingly,  as 

*Oppian,J.  Jones's  transl.ition. 


aao 


A.\n:h'/(\LV  I'lsirr.s. 


tliL- sicvo-likc  lldorinj;  (if  llio  '  (  aiiu'ra  (Kll;i  inorti' '  \v;is  drawn  williin  a 
{k;w  fi'i't  of  tlic  sill  lac  I',  a  nuxcd  niultitutli,'  of  large  fish,  «  hi^lly  of  tlic 
SI  omlur  fiinily,  all  in  \  iolcnt  ayitation  at  what  they  saw  and  heard  (for 
tlu'  turn  were  now  gaily  singing  at  the  ropes),  daslied  and  splaslu'd  about, 
1  ill  the  wh(»le  eiKJosiire  vas  covered  witli  foam.  The  work  of  slaughter 
soon  coniincnced,  and  these  |,'reat  creatures,  dcs]xit(  hed  hy  lilows,  were 
hauled  without  difficulty  on  board  the  l)arge,*  'l"he  chamber  being  now 
empty,  was  let  down  again  for  new  victims,  while  we  followed  the  <  argo 
just  shipped  to  the  land-phue  ;  thence,  j)reccde(l  by  two  drummers,  off  we 
svent  in  a  ])rocessinn  to  the  Mer(  ato  Rcale,  where  we  found  many  great 
jyeless  thunny  (the  ])roduce  of  a  still  earlier  liaul)  already  piled  up  in 
bloody  heaps  on  the  flags,  f  Itesides  these,  there  were  alalongas,  whose  long 
])ectorals  had  been  draggled  in  the  mire,  with  many  other  large  and  curi- 
ous lish.  and  the  formidably  armed  heads  of  two  or  three  sword-fish,  fixed 
on  end  in  the  upi)er  i)art  of  the  woodwork  of  the  same  stalls,  where  their 
huge  bodies  were  expo.sed  for  sale  below,  cut  up  into  bloodless  white 
masses,  like  so  many  coarse  fillets  of  veal  ;  while  whole  hampiTs  of  labridie 
attracted  the  least  attentive  eye  by  their  lovely  variegatetl  and  ever-vary- 
ing tints. 

♦SfimctiniL'S,  wc  ;ire  lolil,  wlicii  a  very  <nliiss;il  thuniiy  is  laiiulit,  (Hic  of  tlic  cri'w  iiinunls  lils  li:u'k,:iinl  will 
riile  liiiii,  as  Arioii  did  tlic  dniphiii,  several  limes  ruuiid  llic  imiL-r  enclosure,  paltii)^  and  taming  liim  Ijefore  lie 
is  stahlied  like  Ids  sm.dler  conipaninns. 

t  Tlie  eves,  lieinj;  a  ))eriinisiie  of  the  rrew,  are  tnrn  out  the  first  thlnR,  to  m:il;e  nil  for  their  lamjis  :  tlie  (jills 
also  ail<l  l)\e  roes,  \vldi:h  are  e.ileti  fre-li,  are  commonly  riplu'd  ont  '.nd  deposited  in  haskels  liy  Uiemsehes. 
These  various  mutilations  of  the  thunny  render  its  appearanie  i"  to^,  markets  at  all  times  unsightly  and  nniii- 
vitinj;.  In  some  cases,  however,  the  lish  are  transferred  in  the  (irst  instance  into  an  inner  shed  or  shandile, 
V  here  .1  wliole  troop  of  them  is  sjiceilily  cut  to  pieces,  and  tlic  sections  (each  of  whiih  lias  a  name  and  a 
market  price  of  its  own)  are  (hen  exposed  fur  sale.  The  youn;;  thnnnics  do  nut  appeal'  in  public  ut  all  till 
they  have  been  first  carefully  boiled  in  sea-water,  and  becume  thon  marine. 


^,... 


Tin;  111  1  n:iMisii. 


THE  IIARVi:sr  !•  LSI  IKS. 


After  tlio  battle,  the  pc.icc  U  ilc.ir. 

After  tlie  toil,  the  rot ; 
Afl'T  tlie  stiiriii,  wlieii  llio  skie-s  arc  clf.ir, 

Pair  i'f  the  <MOaii's  breast, 

I  'lit  ill  the  i^olil  sunshine 

'I'lirnw  we  the  net  ami  lino  ; 

The  silvery  chase  tn-ilay 

Calls  us  to  WDik  away, 
So  throw  the  line,  throw — Yo,  lieave  hi  1 


I'ishers  iiiii^t  wurl;  when  the  treachernim  sea 

Smiles  with  a  face  <.f  linht, 
'riioiinb  the  deep  bed,  whiri'  llieir  fortunes  be, 

May  be  their  i;rave  ere  iii;;bt. 

Out  in  the  ^oKl  sunshine 

Tluciw  we  the  net  and  line  ; 

The  silvery  lines  to-day 

I'lash  in  the  silvery  spray, 
So  thri>w  the  line,  throw — Vn,  heave  hoi 

IIl-HMAV  Mi:niVALi:,   Thi.'  Fislu-riiiuii' s  Si'iif,'. 


npHIO   Ru(UIer-l'"ish  family,  StromatcidiC,  is  represented  on  tiic  coast  by 
three  species,  two  of  wliich  are  important  food-fislies,  and  in  onr  Pa- 
cific waters  by  one  species,   the  so-called   "California  Pompano."      The 
family  is  a  small  one,  and  is  widely  distributed  throughout  warm  seas. 

The  "Butter-fish"  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York,  Stromatcus  triacan- 
f/iiis,  sometimes  known  in  New  Jersey  as  the  'Harvest-fish,"  in  Maine  as 
the  "  Dollar-fish,"  about  Cape  Cod  as  the  "  Sheepshead,"  and  "  Ski])- 
iack,"  in  Connecticut  as  the  "  Pumpkin-seed,"  and  at  Norfolk  as  tiie 
"  Star-fish,"  is  common  between  Cape  Cod  and  Cajjc  Henry.  It  has  been 
observed  south  to  South  Carolina  and  north  to  Maine.  It  has  been  found 
in  some  abundance  along  the  north  side  of  Cape  Cod  in  nets  with  bass 
and  mackerel.     It  is  a  summer  visitor,  appearing  in  our  waters  in  company 


222 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\\  t  '.■( 


h  I  ^\ 


:  I.! 


|i)  ?: 


1 3 


with  tlie  niackercl  and  disaiipearint;  about  the  same  time.  It  appears  to 
breed  in  the  sounds  and  in  the  open  ocean  in  June  and  July,  and  the 
young  are  found  in  great  abundance  in  July,  August,  and  September, 
swimming  about  in  (■om])any  with  certain  species  of  jelly-fishes.  During 
these  months  several  large  species  of  jelly-fish,  or  sun-squalls,  are  found 
abundantly  floating  about  in  waters  near  the  shore,  and  each  one  of  these 
is  almost  invariably  accompanied  by  ten  or  twelve,  or  more,  young 
Butter-fishes,  which  seem  to  seek  shelter  under  their  disks,  and  which, 
])erhaps,  may  obtain  a  supply  of  food  from  among  the  numerous  soft- 
bodied  invertebrates  which  are  constantly  becoming  attached  to  the 
floating  streamers  of  their  ])rotecters.  The  young  fish,  thus  j^rotected, 
range  from  two  to  two  and  a  half  inches  in  length.  I  have  seen  fifteen, 
and  more,  sheltered  under  an  individual  of  Cxanea  arctica  not  more  than 
three  inches  in  diameter.  This  refuge  is  not  always  safe  for  the  little 
fishes,  for  they  sometimes  are  destroyed  by  the  tentacles  of  their  jirotector, 
which  are  i)rovided,  as  every  one  knows,  M'ith  i)owerful  lasso  cells.  The 
little  fish  seem  to  rise  at  the  approach  of  danger  and  seek  refuge  among 
the  lobes  of  the  actinostome.  They  are  thus  ])rotectcd  from  the 
attacks  of  many  kinds  of  larger  fishes  which  prey  upon  them,  though  they 
themselves  often  fall  victims  to  the  stinging  power  of  the  jelly-fish  and  are 
devoured.  The  habit  of  thus  seeking  shelter  is  very  much  like  that  of  the 
rudder-fish.  The  Butter-fisli  attains  an  average  size  of  seven  or  eight 
inches  in  length,  and  is  very  often  taken  in  the  pounds.  The  fishermen 
of  Noank,  Conn.,  tells  me  that  a  barrelful  of  them  is  often  taken  in  one 
haul  of  a  ]iound-net.  They  are  much  valued  for  food  at  New  Bedford. 
When  sent  to  New  York  they  command  a  good  price,  and  the  ])oundmen 
at  Lobsterville  sometimes  cat  them  and  consider  them  better  tlian  scup. 
Their  flavor  is  excellent,  resembling  that  of  the  mackerel,  though  less 
oily  ;  they  are  very  palatable  when  nicely  boiled.  At  many  places,  for 
instance,  Noank,  and  Wood's  Holl,  they  are  thrown  away.  vStorer  stated 
that  they  were  extensively  used  as  manure  in  certain  i)arts  of  jSIassachu- 
setts.  No  observations  ha\-e  been  made  upon  their  food,  though,  since 
their  mouths  are  nearly  toodiless,  it  seems  jirobable  that  they  subsist,  fi)r 
the  most  jiart,  upon  minute  vertebrates.  These  fishes  are  remarkable  on 
account  of  their  brilliant,  iridescent  colors,  which,  in  freshly  caught 
individuals,  are  as  beautiful  as  those  of  a  dolphin. 

The  Harvest-fish,  Stromatcus  alcpidotus,  has  not  been  observed  north  of 


THE  HARVEST  FISHES. 


^-'3 


New  York.  jNIitchill  referred  to  it  in  his  work  on  the  fishes  of  New  \'()rk, 
published  in  1815,  saying  that  it  derived  its  common  name,  "Harvest- 
fish."  from  the  fact  that  it  usually  appeared  during  harvest  time.  DeKay, 
too,  mentions  having  had  several  specimens  in  his  possession.  It  is 
somewhat  abundant  at  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  along  the 
Southern  coast.  In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  it  is  rather  rare  ;  occasionally  it  is 
taken  in  seines  at  Pensacola.  Dr.  (liinther,  in  his  "Catalogue  of  tlie 
Fishes  of  the  British  Museum."  makes  the  astonishing  statement  that  he 
has  seen  specimens  from  Lake  Champlain.  The  species  ranges  south  to 
Bahia,  Brazil.  It  is  not  commercially  valuable  excejit  at  Norfolk,  \'a., 
where  it  is  consumed  for  food  in  large  quantities,  its  market  name  being 
"  Whiting." 

The  California  Pompano,  Stromatcns  simii/iinus,  is  thus  described  by 
Prof.  Jordan  : 

'■  This  species,  known  here  as  the  Pompano,  reaches  a  length  of  eight 
inches,  and  a  weight  of  ^ather  less  than  half  a  jtound.  It  occurs  along 
the  entire  coast  of  California  and  Oregon,  being  most  abundant  about 
Santa  Barbara  and  Soquel,  and  is  not  known  from  farther  south  than  San 
Diego.  It  appears  in  schools  chiefly  in  the  summer  and  fall  ;  occasion- 
ally, also,  during  the  winter,  its  times  of  arri\  al  and  departure  being  (piite 
variable.  It  is  said  that  it  was  an  extremely  rare  visitant  till  about  1S70, 
and  that  its  abundance  since  then  has  steadily  increased,  it  being  now 
often  found  in  greater  quantities  than  can  be  readily  sold.  It  feeds  on 
worms,  small  Crustacea,  &c.  Nothing  special  is  known  of  its  breeding 
habits.  As  a  food-fish  it  is  held  in  the  highest  repute,  the  price  of  indi- 
vidual fish  ranging  from  two  to  four  for  a  '  quarter.'  Its  flesh  is  fat.  ri(  h, 
and  excellent." 

The  Black  Rudder-fish,  Lints pcrcifonnis,  is  also  called  by  the  fishermen 
"Log-fish"  and  "Barrel-fish."  It  has  been  noticed  at  various  points 
along  our  coast  from  New  Jersey  to  Nova  Scotia,  where  schools  of  them 
were  several  times  observed  off  Halifax  in  1877.  It  has  hitherto  been 
considered  very  rare  north  of  Cape  Cod.  I  cannot  doubt  that  it  will  be 
hereafter  found  at  least  as  far  south  as  Cape  Hatteras,  and  probably  along 
the  whole  length  of  our  Atlantic  coast.  The  habits  of  this  fish  are  peculiar 
in  the  extreme.  They  are  almost  always  found  in  the  vicinity  of  floating 
barrels  and  spars,  sometimes  inside  of  the  barrels  :  hence  tlie  fishermen 
often  call  them  "  Barrel-fish,"  though  the  most  usual  name  is  '•  Rudder- 


"■ry^-^-'-t^  ^T-.  I  :T^Bf-^:is»^«*S' Ji^"^ 


224 


AJf£/^/CAA'  FISHES. 


\'h 


fish."  They  are  occasionally  taken  in  lobster-pots.  When  cruising  in 
Fish  Commission  yacht  "MoUie,"  off  Noman's  Land,  July  13,  1875,  we 
observed  numerous  specimens  swimming  under  floating  spars  and  planks. 
Sometimes  as  many  as  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  Avere  obseryed  under  a 
single  spar,  a  cloud  of  shadowy  black  forms  being  plainly  visible  from  the 
deck.  We  went  out  to  them  in  a  row-boat  and  succeeded  in  taking 
thirteen  of  them  in  the  course  of  a  day.  After  the  first  thrusts  of  the  dip- 
net  they  grew  shy  and  sought  refuge  under  the  boat,  under  which  they 
would  sink  far  below  our  reach.  A  lull  of  a  few  moments  woukl  bring 
them  back  to  the  log  under  which  they  had  clustered  until  disturbed  again. 
When  the  boat  was  rowed  away  they  followetl  in  a  close-swimming  school 
until  we  gained  full  speed,  when  they  suddenly  turned,  as  if  by  one  im- 
pulse, and  swam  back  to  the  log  or  spar.  Once  they  followed  us  about 
two  hundred  yards  from  the  spar,  and  then  leaving  us  retreated  to  their 
old  shelter,  reaching  it  some  time  before  we  could  turn  the  boat  and  row 
back  to  it.  I  had  before  this  supposed  them  to  be  quite  unusual,  but  on 
that  one  day  we  must  have  seen,  at  the  lowest  computation,  two  hundred 
or  two  hundred  and  fifty.  They  doubtless  have  been  given  the  name  of 
Rudder-fish  by  the  sailors  who  have  seen  them  swimming  about  the  sterns 
of  becalmed  vessels. 


THE  BLACK  KUDDER-FISH. 


When  the  Fish  Commission  steamer  has  been  dredging  off  Halifax,  I 
have  several  times  noticed  schools  of  them  hovering  around  her  sides. 
They  doubtless  gather  around  the  logs  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  upon  the 
hydroids  and  minute  crustaceans,  and  perhaps  mollusca  which  accumulate 


THE  HARVEST  EISHES. 


225 


around  them.  Their  stomachs  were  found  to  contain  amphipod  crusta- 
ceans, hydroids,  and  young  s(iiiids.  They  are  doubtless  to  some  degree 
protected  by  the  spars  under  which  they  congregate,  in  the  same  manner 
as  their  kindred,  the  Butter-fish,  which  swim  under  the  disk  of  the 
jelly-fish.  Their  colors  undergo  considerable  change  from  time  to  time, 
possibly  at  the  will  of  the  fish. 

The  Rudder-fish  attains  the  length  of  ten  or  twelve  inches,  and  is 
excellent  eating.  DeKay  states  that  the  fishermen  of  New  York,  in  1842, 
called  this  species  the  "Snip-nosed  Mullet,"  but  this  name  does  not 
appear  to  have  become  permanent. 

The  Rudder-fish  occasionally  follows  ships  across  the  Atlantic.  A  sin- 
gle individual  was  taken  at  Pen/.ance,  in  Cornwall,  in  October,  1S79,  and 
is  now  in  the  collection  of  Sir  John  St.  Aubyn,  at  "Michaels  Mount." 

15 


TUE  CaVaLI.V. 


THE  CAVALLY  AND  OTHER  CARANGOIDS. 


Swift  spued  crevalli"  ovci  i'a.it  watery  ])l:uii, 

Swift  over  Indinn  River's  Ijroad  expanse. 
Swift  where  the  ripples  boil  with  finny  hosts, 

I3ri:.^ht  glittcrini;  they  glance  ; 
And  when  the  angler's  spoon  is  over  them  cast. 

How  fierce,  how  vigorous  the  fight  for  life  I 
Now  in  the  deeps  they  plunge,  now  leap  in  air 

Till  end's  the  unequal  strife. 

Isaac  McLellan. 


'T'HE  members  of  the  family  Ciiraiii^idcc,  which  is  closely  allied  to  the 
mackerel  family,  are  distinguished  chiefly  by  the  form  of  the  mouth, 
and  by  the  fact  that  they  have  uniformly  but  twenty-four  vertebra.%  ten 
abdominal  and  fourteen  caudal,  while  the  mackerel  have  uniformly  more, 
both  abdominal  and  caudal.  They  are  carnivorous  fishes,  abounding 
everywhere  in  temperate  and  trojjical  seas.  On  our  own  eastern  coast 
there  are  at  least  twenty-five  species,  all  of  them  eatable,  but  none  of  them 
of  much  importance  except  Pompanoes.  On  the  California  coast  there  are 
two  or  three  species  of  this  family,  of  small  commercial  importance. 

Caranx  hippos,  the  Cavally  of  the  Ciulf  of  Mexico  and  Eastern 
Florida — the  "  Horse  Crevalle  "  of  South  Carolina — occurs  abundantly 
on  our  Southern  coast,  and  has  been  recorded  by  Prof.  Poey  from  Cuba 
and  by  Cojje  from  St.  Christopher  and  St.  Croix.  It  is  generally  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  West  Indies,  and  is  found  along  the  Pacific  coast 
the  Gulf  of  California  to  Panama.     The  species  was  originally  described 


THE   CAVALLY  AXD  OTHER   CARAXGOIDS. 


from  specimens  sent  from  South  Carolina  by  Garden  to  Linna;us.  The 
name  of  this  fish  is  usually  written  anil  printed  "  Crevalle,"  but  the  form 
in  common  use  among  the  fishermen  of  the  South,  "  Cavally."  is  nearer  to 
the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  names,  CavaUia  and  Cabalhi,  meaning 
"horse."  The  name  as  used  in  South  Carolina  is  a  curious  reduplication, 
being  a  combination  of  the  English  and  Sjianish  names  for  "  horse."  It 
should  be  carefully  remembered  that  in  South  Carolina  the  name  Crevalle 
is  most  generally  aj^plied  to  (juite  another  fish,  the  Ponijiano. 

The  Cavally,  as  it  seems  most  approi)riate  to  call  Caraiix  /n'/'/'os,  though 
in  individual  cases  occurring  as  far  north  as  Cajic  Cod,  and  even,  in  one 
instance,  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  is  not  commonly  known  in  the  United  States 
north  of  Florida.  Storer  remarks :  '-This  fish  is  so  seldom  seen  in  the 
waters  of  South  Carolina  that  we  are  unacciuainted  with  its  habits."  1 
observed  a  specimen  in  the  Jacksonville  market  in  A])ril,  1S74.  Cim- 
terning  the  Cavally  of  Southern  Florida,  which  is  either  this  or  a  closely 
allied  s])ecies,  Mr.  H.  S.  Williams  writes : 

"  In  the  Indian  River  this  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  larger  varieties.  Its 
season  is  from  the  ist  of  May  to  NovendK-r.  It  ranges  in  weight  from 
three  to  twenty  pounds,  being  larger  and  more  numerous  to  the  southward 
toward  the  Mosquito  Inlet.  The  south  end  of  Merritt's  Island  and  the 
inlets  opposite  old  Fort  Capron  seem  to  be  a  sort  of  headcpiarters  for  the 
Cavalli.  When  in  ])ursuit  of  prey  they  are  very  ravenous  and  move  with 
the  rai)idity  of  lightning.  They  readily  take  a  troll  either  with  bait  or 
rag.  The  favorite  mode  of  capturing  them,  as  well  as  all  other  large  fish 
that  feed  in  shallow  water  or  near  the  shore,  is  with  a  ride.  The  liigh, 
rocky  shores  afford  an  excellent  ojjportunity  for  this  sport,  though  the 
rapid  movements  of  the  fish  render  them  very  difficult  target."  S.  C. 
Clarke  says  :  "  It  will  take  a  spoon  or  other  troll,  and  would  no  doubt 
rise  to  a  fiy.  When  hooked  it  makes  long  and  vigorous  runs,  and  fights 
to  the  last." 

Mr.  Stearns  writes:  "The  Crevalle  is  common  on  the  (iulf  coast.  In 
\\'est  Florida  it  appears  in  May  and  remains  until  late  in  the  fall,  and  is 
e(|ually  abundant  in  the  l)ays  and  at  sea.  In  the  bays  it  is  notiieable 
from  the  manner  in  which  it  i)reys  upon  fish  smaller  than  itself,  the  (lulf 
menhaden  and  mullet  being  the  most  common  victims.  On  arrival  it 
<  ontains  spawn  which  it  j^robably  deposits  in  the  salt-water  bavous.  for  in 
the  fall  schools  of  young  are  seen  coming  out  uf  those  places  on  their  way 


228 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


to  the  sua.  These  young  are  then  of  al)oiit  one  ])oun(l  weight,  ap]iearing 
to  the  casual  observer  like  pompano,  and  I  am  told  that  they  e(iual  it  for 
edible  purjioses.  They  arc  cauglit  accidently  by  seines  and  trolling-lines. 
Large  ones  arc  not  considered  choice  food,  the  tlesh  being  dark  and 
almost  tasteless.  The  average  weight  is  twelve  pounds ;  occasionally  they 
attain  the  size  of  twenty  jjounds." 

Prof.  Jordan  found  this  species  abundant  in  Lake  Pontchartrain. 

Ciiranx  cnimciiophtlialmus,  called  in  the  Bermudas,  where  it  is  of  some 
importance  as  a  food-fish,  the  "  Goggler,"  or  "  Cioggle-eyed  Jack,"  and 
in  (-uba  the  "  Cicharra,"  occurs  in  the  West  Indies  and  along  the  Atlan- 
tic coast  of  the  United  States  north  to  Vineyard  Sound.  It  is  also  found 
at  Panama  and  in  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  the 
Red  Sea,  and  off  tlie  coast  of  Guinea,  while,  as  has  been  remarked,  it  is 
abundant  in  the  Bermudas.  Its  large,  protruding  eyes  are  very  noticeable 
features,  and  the  Bermuda  name  seems  appropriate  for  adoption,  since  the 
fish  has  with  us  never  received  a  distinctive  name.  In  form  it  somewhat 
resembles  the  species  last  discussed,  with  which  it  is  probably  often 
confused.  Stearns  speaks  of  a  fish,  common  at  Key  West,  which  is  known 
as  the  "  Horse-eyed  Jack,"  and  this  may  prove  to  be  the  same  species. 


TIIR  JURKL  OR  IIAHD-TAIL, 

Caranx pistjuctus,  known  about  Pensacola  as  the  "  Jurel."  "  Cojinua," 
and  "  Hard-tail ";  along  the  Florida  coast  as  "Jack-fish"  and  "Skip- 
jack"; in  the  Bermudas  as  the  "Jack"  or  "Buffalo  Jack";  in  South 
Carolina  as  the  "Horse  Crevalie";  at  Fort  Macon  as  the  "Horse 
Mackerel  ";  about  New  York  and  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  as  the  "  Yel- 
low Mackerel,"  is  found  in  the  Western  Atlantic  from  Brazil,  Cuba,  and 


THE   CA  VAL  L  Y  A  ND  O  TJfE  R   C.  I  A' A  A  'C  O  IDS. 


22() 


Havti    to   Halifax,  Nova   Scotia,   where   specimens 


were    secured 


the 


United  States  Fish  Commission  in  1877.  It  is  one  of  the  (ommoiiest 
summer  visitants  of  the  A\'est  Indian  fauna  ah)ng  the  whole  coast  of 
Southern  New  England  and  the  Middle  States,  being  especially  ahundant 
in  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  and  one  of  the  (ommonest  fishes  in  the  llermnclas. 
'I'his  fish  is  occasionally  brought  to  the  New  N'ork  market,  but  is  of  no 
special  importance  as  an  article  of  food  north  id'  the  (iiilf  of  .Me\i( o. 
Concerning  its  habits  in  those  waters,  Mr.  Stearns  lias  <  ontributed  a  \ery 
interesting  series  of  notes.  They  are  esiiecially  instru(ti\e,  since  nothing 
has  ])reviously  been  known  of  its  lifediistor\-. 


It  isextremelv  abundant  e\er\\vher' 


e  on 


theC.ulf 


ast  of 


lorida. 


.\la- 


bama,  and  Mississippi.  At  I'ensacola  it  is  one  of  the  iin]^ortanl  fillies  of 
trade,  and  is  highly  ])ri/.ed  for  fooil.  it  is  one  of  the  (lass  of  migratory 
fishes  of  this  coast,  like  the  ])ompano,  mullet.  Spanish  ma<  kerel.  and  red- 
fish,  having  certain  seasons  for  ajjpcaring  and  disapiiearing  on  the  (dast, 
and  also  has  habits  during  these  seasons  that  are  peculiar  to  themselves  or 
their  class.  It  appears  on  the  coast  in  .Xjiril.  in  large  sc  hools  that  swim 
in  shoal  water  near  the  beach  during  ])leasant  weather,  when  there  is  little 
or  no  surf,  in  eight  or  ten  feet  of  water,  and  in  stormv  weather  some  little 


(listance  from  the  breakers.      Their  movement  is  fr 


om 


tl 


le  eastward  to   the 


westward.  As  they  seldom  swim  at  the  surface,  their  movements  can  be 
vatched  only  when  in  shoal  water.  'J"he  schools  'running'  in  .Ajiril  and 
first  of  May  are  usually  smaller  than  those  of  a  few  weeks  later,  but  the 
individuals  of  the  first  are  st)mewhat  larger,  'i'he  mass,  or  largest  'run.' 
es  in  Mav,  and  it  is  on  the  arri\al  of  these  that  schcjols  are  first  seen 


com 


coming  in  the  inlets. 

"A  noticeable  jieculiarity  of  the  Hard-tail  cfimjared  with  some  other 
common  migratory  fishes  is  that  the  first  s(  hoc  Is  do  not  stay  a.bout  the 
mouths  of  an  inlet  and  along  the  beach  weeks  before  coming  inside  as 
those  of  the  latter  do,  but  continue  their  westward  mcnenient,  without 
seeming  to  stop  to  feed  or  play,  until  the  time  has  c  ome  for  a  general 
movement  towards  the  bavs.      In  this  wa\'  thev  must  be  distributed  alcMig 


the  coast,  with 


no  un 


ec]ual  accumulation  at  any   one  point.      A\'he 


n   once 


inside,  the  numerous  schools  break  up  into  smaller  ones  of  a  dozen  or  t'vo 
fish,  which  are  found  in  all  jiarts  of  the  bay  during  the  summer.  On  their 
arri\al  the  larger  fish  contain  spawn,  and   become  cpiite   dull,  in  July  and 


August  ;     after    this   none    are    seen    but    the    \-oun 


U    Us 


h   of    about    ten 


230 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


inches  in  length,  until  there  is  a  general  movement  towards  the  sea.  It  is 
believed  that  the  adult  tlsh  spawn  in  the  bays,  but  the  only  evidence  to 
support  that  belief  is  that  they  come  inside  with  spawn,  go  away  with  it, 
and  that  \ery  young  fish  are  found  there.  In  October  and  Xovember 
small  Hard-tails  are  CcJight  in  Santa  Rosa  Sound,  measuring  five  and  six 
in<dies  in  length. 

"The  smallest  of  the  spring  run  are  nine  or  ten  inches  long.  Adult  fish 
measure  twelve,  fourteen,  and  fit"teen  inches  in  length,  very  rarely  more 
than  the  last.  During  the  montiis  of  October  and  November,  Hard-tails 
leave  the  bays,  formed  in  small  schools  and  swimming  below  the  surface 
in  deep  water.  The  only  time  tliat  they  can  then  be  seen  is  when  they 
cross  the  '  bars  '  at  the  inlet  or  sandv  shoals  in  the  bav.  A  few  stragglers 
remain  in  Pensacola  15ay  and  Santa  Rosa  Sound  all  winter,  which  arc 
taken  now  and  then  with  hook  and  line.  I  liave  found  them  in  abundance 
in  winter  on  the  South  Florida  coast,  where,  owing  to  less  variable  con- 
tlitions  of  the  water,  their  halnts  are  decidedly  different.  The  Hard-tail 
is  a  most  voracious  fish,  waging  active  war  upon  the  schools  of  small  fish. 
Its  movements  are  rapid,  and  sometimes  in  its  eagerness  it  will  jump  high 
out  of  the  water.  It  has  its  enemies  also,  for  I  have  seen  whole  schools 
driven  ashore  by  the  sharks  and  porpoises  ;  a  great  many  are  destroyed  in 
this  way.      Hard-tails  are  caught  for  the  market  in  seines." 

The  occurrence  of  the  Cuba  Jurel,  Caranx  /aftis,  on  our  coast  was  first 
announced  by  a  drawing  made  by  Mr.  J-  H.  Richard  of  a  fish  taken  in 
South  Carolina.  Upon  this  drawing  Holl)rook  founded  his  species,  C. 
Ricliardii.  Caranx  latus  occurs  abundantly  throughout  the  West  Indies 
and  along  the  (lulf  coast  of  the  United  States,  and  it  is  by  no  means  im- 
possible that  stragglers  should  have  found  their  way  to  Charleston. 
According  to  Prof.  Poey,  this  fish  has  been  prohibited  from  sale  in  Cuba 
from  time  immemorial,  and  with  good  reason,  since  many  disastrous  cases 
of  sickness  have  followed  its  use  as  food.  This  species  occurs,  according 
to  Jordan,  from  the  Gulf  of  California  to  Panama,  and  also  in  the  East 
Indies. 

The  Round  Robin,  Dccaptcnis  piinctatus,  called  at  Pensacola,  the 
"  Cigar-fish,"  occurs  in  the  Bermudas,  where  it  is  an  important  food-fish  ; 
it  occurs  also  in  the  West  Indies  and  along  the  coast  of  the  United  States 
north  as  far  as  Woods  Holl. 

A  closely  related  species,  Dccaptcrus  macarcllus,   is   found   also  in  the 


Tirr-.  cAVAi.T.y  AXD  oTirr.R  caraxcoids. 


2\\ 


West  Imlies  and  along  the  eastern  cdast  of  llie  I'nited  States.  According 
to  Stearns,  individuals  of  this  species  are  rather  rare  in  the  nortliern  part 
of  the  (lull",  but  more  common  along  tlie  South  Idorida  coast.  'I'liey  live 
in  shallow  water  and  in  harbors,  usually  moving  about  in  small  schools. 
At  Key  West  they  are  caught  in  seines,  ami  are  eaten. 

The  Scads,  known  in  I'.ngland  as  the  "  Horse-Mackerels."  appear  to 
occur  in  all  temperate  and  tropical  waters.  The  distribution  is  given  by 
(liinther  as  follows:  •'  l'"rom  the  coasts  of  the  temperate  parts  of  I'lurope, 
along  the  coasts  of  Africa,  round  the  Caje  of  (lood  Hope  into  the  Mast 
Indian  seas,  to  the  coasts  of  New  Zealand  and  ^\'est  America."  As  has 
been  shown  by  Liitken,  Steinchu  liner,  and  Jordan  and  (lilliert,  three  dis- 
tinct sjjccies  are  confounded  by  (liinther  under  the  name  'J'raihintis 
tracJiurtis. 

In  Europe  our  scad  ranges  north  to  the  Trondlijem  I'^jord.  latitude  65°, 
and  is  said  to  occur  as  far  soiith  as  Portugal.  On  the  coast  of  Holland  it 
is  known  as  the  "  Marse  IJanker,"  or  ••Mors."  It  is  interesting  to 
American  ichthvologists.  since  the  similarity  of  its  habits  to  those  of  the 
menhaden,  so  important  in  our  waters,  caused  the  latter  fish  to  be  called 
among  the  early  Dutch  colonists  of  New  York  by  the  same  name.  Muro- 
])ean  writers  describe  the  Scads  as  occurring  upon  those  coasts  in  schools 
of  immense  numbers,  and  i'.  would  seem  that  although  their  manner  of 
swimming  resembles  that  of  the  menhaden,  in  their  other  habits  they  more 
closely  resemble  our  bluefish.  They  are  considered  to  be  food-fishes  of 
Hair  (luality,  and  attain  the  length  of  about  twelve  inches.  They  are  sup- 
posed to  spawn  about  the  same  time  as  the  mackerel.  Only  three 
specimens  of  this  species  have  ever  been  taken  in  the  United  States,  one 
by  the  Fish  Commission  in  Southern  New  England  in  1S7S,  and  subse- 
(piently  two  others  by  Jordan  and  Stearns,  at  Tensacola.  In  California, 
according  to  Jordan,  the  allied  species  T.  pictiiraius  occurs  and  is  known 
as  the  "  HorseMackerel."  He  remarks  :  "  It  reaches  a  length  of  about 
a  foot  and  a  weight  of  less  than  a  jiound.  It  ranges  from  Monterey 
southwaril  to  Chili,  appearing  in  California  in  the  summer,  remaining  in 
the  spawning  season,  and  disappearing  before  December.  It  arrives  at 
Santa  Uarbara  in  July,  and  at  Monterey  in  August.  In  late  summer  it  is 
exceedingly  abundant.  It  forms  part  of  the  footl  of  larger  fishes,  and 
great  numbers  are  salted  for  bait.  As  a  food-fish  it  is  held  in  low  esteem, 
but  whether  this  is  due  entirely  to  its  small  size  we  do  not  know.  It  is 
identical  with  the  well-known  Mediterranean  species." 


;( 


i, 


•i'  ' 
■i:  • 


i 


232 


AMERICAN  FISHES, 


'I'hc  Horsc-fisli.  Stlcnc  sttipiiiiiis,  known  in  North  Carolina  as  the 
"  Moont'isli  "  or  "  Sunfish,"  and  in  Ciilia  liy  the  name  "  Jorohach),"  was 
railed  byDcKay  "  IJhint-nosctl  Shiner,"  and  since  tiiis  name,  sometimes 
varied  to  "  I'u^'nosed  Shiner."  is  in  common  nse  in  the  New  \'ork  market 
and  in  Narragansett  Hay.  while  the  other  names  are  shared  hy  other  spec  ies, 
similar  and  dissimilar,  it  seems  the  most  suitable  for  general  a(U)iitiun. 
The  fish  is  found  everywhere  throughout  the  ^^■est  Indies,  as  well  as  in 
Northern  iSrazil  and  in  the  (lulf  of  (luinea,  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  the  (iulf 
of  California,  and  southward  along  the  coast  to  Panama,  but  has  not  been 
found  in  Muroi)e.  In  Mastern  Florida  it  is  not  very  unusual,  being  fre- 
quently taken  in  the  Lower  St.  John's,  and  sometimes  driven  up  as  far  as 
Jacksonville  by  easterly  storms.  Mere  and  in  the  Indian  River  it  is  known 
as  the  "  Moonfish."  It  is  a  freciuent  summer  visitor  all  along  the  coast  as 
far  north  as  Woods  Moll,  Mass.,  where  it  has  a  peculiar  name,  the  people 
there  calling  it  the  "  Hump-backed  Dutterfish."  The  species  attains  the 
length  of  ten  or  twelve  inches,  and  is  esteemed  an  excellent  article  of 
food.  Consi(leral)le  numbers  are  brought  yearly  to  New  York,  but  else- 
where it  rarely  appears  in  the  markets.  Young  from  three  inches  in 
length  upwards  are  found,  but  we  have  no  definite  knowledge  as  to  its 
breeding  habits. 

The  Silver  Moon-fish,  Sclciic  argciitca,  is  almost  certain  to  be  confuse<l 
by  fishermen  with  the  one  last  described,  which  it  resembles,  and  is  oi'ten 
spoken  of  under  the  same  names.  It  occurs  abundantly  on  our  coast  as  far 
north  as  Woods  lloll,  and  is  found  in  the  West  Indies,  in  Brazil,  and  in 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  as  well  as  in  the  Pacific,  from  the  Culf  of  California 
to  Panama. 

The  young  of  the  Silver  Moon-fish  is  abundant  in  our  waters,  and  has 
been  frecpiently  taken  in  Massachusetts  Uay,  and,  in  one  or  two  instances, 
as  far  north  as  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.  Their  bodies  are  so  thin  that  they 
can  be  dried  in  the  sun  without  the  use  of  any  jjre.servatives,  without  loss 
of  form  and  color.  They  are,  consecpiently,  of  no  importance  for  food. 
In  the  Chesapeake  this  fish  is  often  called  by  the  names  "  Horse-head." 
and  "  Look-down." 

The  Amber-fish.  Scriola  caroliiicnsis,  is  quite  common  off  the  West 
Florida  coast,  occurring  in  from  ten  to  thirty  fathoms  of  water  on  or  near 
the  'snapper  banks'  throughout  the  year.  It  is  an  active  species, 
swimming  just  below  the  surface,  and  preying  upon  schools  of  small  fisli. 


THE   CAVALI.Y  AXn   OTITER   CARAXGOIDS. 


It  is  a  godd  f(K»(l-l"ish,  Imt  is  ratlur  shy  of  a  liaitcil  liook.  and  Imt    tVw   arc 
taken.       It  attains  a  si/c  of  furty  int  Iks   in  k'liLrth    and    liftccn    ]K>iinds 


Tin;  AMi'.riMMsii. 


weight.  It  is  also,  according  to  jonhm.  rather  conmion  on  the  Carolina 
coast,  where  it  is  known  as  the  "  jac  k-l'l^>n." 

Tile  •■  Rock  Salmon  "  of  Tensac ola,  SrrioUi  fiilcatii.  is  recorded  I>y 
Stearns  as  occasionally  oc(  arring  near  I'ensacola  in  conipanv  with  the 
l)receeding  species,  which  it  resetnMes  in  hal>its.  It  is  caught  with  hook 
and  line  and  is  eaten  :  in  his  oiiinion.  it  att;:ins  a  larger  si/e  than  the 
Anilier-fish.  There  is  a  third  sjiecies  of  Amber-fish  of  which  the  National 
Museum  has  received  a  single  siiecimen  from  South  i'"lorida.  It  is  closely 
related  to  the  fish  described  by  C'u\ier  tmder  the  name  Srrio/a  J.ahjihiii. 
The  same  sjiecies  is  some  sent  to  the  New  Orleans  market,  where  an  ex- 
ani]ile  was  seen  by  I'rof.  Jordan. 

Another  closely  allied  s])ecies.  Srrio/d  (/i>rs(r//s,  occurs  on  the  coast  of 
California,  where,  according  to  Jordan,  it  is  known  mider  the  names 
"  Vellow-tail."  "  White  Salmon."  and  "Cavasina." 

Of  the  "Vellow-tail,"  I'rof.  Jordan  says:  '•  It  reaches  a  length  of  four 
to  five  feet,  and  a  weight  of  thirty  to  forty  ])oimds,  and  individuals  of  less 
than  fifteen  ])ounds  weight  are  rarely  seen.  It  ranges  from  Cape  San 
I.ucas  northward  to  the  Santa  IJarbara  and  Coronados  Islands,  where  it  is 
found  in  great  abundance  in  the  spawning  season,  arriving  in  July,  and 
departing  in  early  fall.  It  spawns  about  August  iS.  It  is  caught  chiefly 
by  trolling.  It  feeds  on  scpiid  and  such  fish  as  the  anchovy  and  sardine. 
As  a  fresh  fish  it  ranks  high,  although  large  individuals  are  sometimes 
coarse  and  tough.  When  salted  and  dried  it  is  inferior  to  none  on  the 
coast,  ranking  with  the  white-fish  and  barracuda." 


ii^ 


ll 

''I 

>  il 


\l 


2. VI 


i.vER/atx  F/srrr.s. 


The  T?;inik-(1  Uiiddcr-flsli,  Sfr/'o/a  zo/ni/ti,  has  boon  observed  as  far  nortli 
as  Salem  .ind  Meverly,  Mass.  Several  specimens  have  been  taken  north  of 
Cape  Cod  during  the  past  forty  years.  It  is  a  sm;dl  fish,  rarely  exceeding 
six  or  eight  inches  in  length,  conspicuous  by  reason  of  its  brilliant  and 
beautiful  colors,  and  good  to  eat,  though  rarely  saved  by  the  fishermen 
who  ac(  idently  capture  it.  It  is  called  in  Southern  New  ICngland  the 
'•  Rudder-fish"  on  account  (jf  its  resemblance  to  the  Rudder-fish  of  the 
ocean,  Niiiu-rafi's  (hi c for. 

Svrio/ii  fjsiiafa,  called  in  Cuba  the  "  Medregal  "  and  in  Bermuda  the 
••Bonita,"  has  been  observed  in  South  Florida  and  along  the  ioasts  of 
the  Carolinas.  It  is  apparently  exceedingly  rare  in  the  waters  of  the 
United  States.  In  Bermuda  it  attains  a  length  of  two  feet  or  more,  and 
is  highly  esteemed  as  a  food-fish. 

The  Leather-jacket,  0//\'-(>/>///<s  SiVirus,  which  is  found  throughout  the 
West  Indies  and  south  as  far  as  Bahia,  and  on  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico 
and  Central  America,  has  since  1875  been  severel  times  observed  between 
Florida  and  Newport,  R.  I.  It  is  known  to  fishermen  as  the  "Skipjack," 
sharing  this  name  with  a  number  of  other  scombroid  fishes,  which  leap 
from  the  water  as  they  pursue  their  i)rey.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  graceful  fishes  in  out  waters,  but  at  present  is  of  no  economic  import- 
ance, its  llesh  being  hard  and  dry. 

"  The  Runner,  E/itgatispinnii/ah'S,  known  at  Key  West  as  "  Skipjack  " 
or  ''  Runner,"  and  at  Pensacola  as  "Yellow-tail"  or  "Shoemaker,"  is, 
according  to  Stearns,  abundant  on  the  western  and  southern  coasts  of 
Florida.  At  Pensacola  it  spawns  in  spring  ;  the  young  fish  are  seen  in 
July  and  August.  It  is  found  in  the  bays  and  along  the  sea-beaches,  seem- 
ing to  prefer  clear  salt-water,  swift  currents,  and  sandy  bottoms.  It 
usually  moves  in  small  schools  of  a  dozen  or  two  individuals.  It  feeds 
upon  small  fishes  and  crustaceans.  \Vhen  pursued  by  larger  fish  it  jumps 
repeatedly  from  the  water,  very  much  in  the  same  manner  as  the  fiying 
fish,  only  its  fiights  are  much  shorter  and  oftener  repeated.  This  habit  has 
given  it  the  names  of  '  Skipjack  '  and  '  Runner  '  at  Key  West,  where  it 
may  be  seen  at  almost  any  time.  It  is  sometimes  eaten  at  Key  West,  and 
at  Havana  is  cjuite  an  imj>ortant  fish  in  the  markets,  being  also  exposed 
for  sale  at  stands  on  the  streets,  cooked  and  ready  for  use. 

The  dolphins,  CorypJuvnidiC,  are  found  usually  in  mid-ocean,  where  they 
feed  upon  other  pelagic  fishes,  such  as  the  flying-fish.      They  are  strong, 


r.ipiil  >\vhniiK'iN.  aui\  aw  widely  distribtitotl  throiighotit  all  ti-niin'ratc  ami 
tropii  al  waters.     'Vhc  name  Dolphin  is  unfortunately  applietl.  this  being 


vwm^ 

m^'^ 

^ 

^^ 

Tin:  i)>ii,iMiiN. 
the  iieculiar  property  of  a  L^roiip  of  small  cetaceans.  They  are  often 
caught  li\'  sailors  at  sea.  anil  are  con>.iilereiI  most  excellent  tooil.  It  is  an 
almost  uni\ersal  custom  hefore  eating  them  to  test  the  llesh  by  putting  a 
jiiece  of  ^iher  into  the  \  essel  in  which  they  ha\e  been  cooked,  it  being  a 
common  belief  that  if  the  llesh  is  jjoisonous  the  silver  will  turn  dark. 
Narratives  of  ocean  \-o\ages  abound  in  descriptions  of  the  beautifid  colors 
of  the  ])olphin  and  the  brilliant  changes  of  hue  exhibited  by  the  dying 
fish,  but  none  so  elotpient  as  that  in  Montgomery's  "  Pelican  Island." 

•'  A  siioal  of  doliiiiius,  tumblint;  in  wild  j;iee, 
Glowed  with  such  «)rient  tints,  they  might  have  been 
The  rainliow's  offspring,  where  it  met  tlie  ocean." 

There  are  in  the  Atlantic  two  species  of  Doljjhins,  though  the  num- 
ber was,  until  lately,  supjtosed  to  be  very  much  greater.  IJut  one  of  tliesc, 
Corxplui'ihi  ]tippiinis,  is  definitely  known  from  our  shores. 

The  vt)img,  less  than  two  t"eet  in  length,  are  beautifully  marked  with 
nmnerous  small  circular  spots,  and  have,  until  lately,  been  considered  by 
nianv  writers  to  belong  t«j  a  distinct  genus  and  species.  Dolphins  are 
abundant  also,  it  is  said,  in  the  (lulf  of  Me.xico. 

'I'he  Pilot-fish,  Xaucratcs  diictor,  though  of  little  or  no  economic  im- 
])ortance,  deserves  passing  mention,  since  it  is  so  frecpiently  referreil  to  in 
literature.  It  is  occasionally  taken  on  our  coast.  Capt.  Atwood 
mentions  a  specimen  which  was  taken  in  a  mackerel  net  in  Provincetown 
Harbor,  in  October,  1S5S.  A  whale-ship  had  come  in  a  few  days  before, 
and  he  sujjposes  that  the  I'ilot-fish  had  followeil  it  into  the  harbor. 


^ 


II 


m 


J 


-36 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  I'ilot-fish,  ^A''.  tfnctor,  is  a  truly  jiclai^Mc  fish,  known  in  all  tropical 
and  temperate  seas.  Its  name  is  derived  from  its  hnbit  of  keeping  com- 
])any  with  ships  and  large  fish,  especially  sharks.  It  is  the  Tompilus  of 
the  ancients,  who  describe  it  as  jjointing  out  the  vay  to  dubious  or 
embarrassed  sailors,  and  as  announcing  the  vicinity  of  land  by  its  sudden 
disappearance.      It  was  therefore  regarded  as  a  sacred  fish,     '''he  connec- 


TIIK  PILOT-FISH. 


tion  between  the  shark  and  the  Pilot-fish  has  received  various  inter])reta- 
tions,  some  observers  having,  pierhajjs,  added  more  sentiment  than  is 
warranted  by  the  actual  facts.  It  was  stated  that  the  shark  never  seized 
the  Pilot-fish  ;  that  the  latter  was  of  great  use  to  its  big  com])anion  in 
conducting  it  and  showing  it  the  way  to  food.  Dr.  Meyer,  in  his  "  Reise 
rmi  die  Erde,"  states  :  "  The  Pilot  swims  constantly  in  front  of  the  shark  ; 
we  ourselves  have  seen  three  instances  in  which  the  shark  was  led  by  the 
Pilot.  When  the  shark  neared  the  ship  the  Pilot  swam  close  to  the  snout, 
or  near  one  of  the  pectoral  fins  of  the  animal.  Sometimes  he  darted 
rai)idly  forwards  or  sidewards,  as  if  looking  for  something,  and  constantly 
went  back  again  to  the  shark.  "When  we  threw  overboard  a  ]>iece  of  l,)acon 
fastened  on  a  great  hook,  the  shark  was  about  twenty  ])aces  from  the  shi]i. 
With  the  ipiickness  of  lightning  the  Pilot  came  up,  smelt  at  the  dainty, 
and  instantly  swam  back  again  to  the  shark,  swimming  many  times  round 
his  snoi!t  and  sjilashing  as  if  to  give  him  exact  information  as  to  the 
bacon.  The  shark  now  began  to  jiut  himself  in  motion,  the  Pilot  showing 
him  the  way,  and  in  a  moment  he  was  fast  upon  the  hook.'''  Upon  a  later 
occasion  we  observed  two  Pilots  in  sedulous  attendance  on  a  blue  shark, 
■which  we  caught  in  the  Chinese  Sea.  It  seems  probable  that  the  Pilot 
feeds  on  the  shark's  excrements,  keeps  his  company  for  that  purpose,  and 

*Iu  this  instance  one  may  entertain  reasonable  doubts  as  to  the  usefulness  of  the  I'ilot  to  the  shark. 


directs  his  operations  solely  from  this  selfish  view."  I  believe  that  Dr. 
Meyer's  oi)inion,  as  e.\presse(l  in  his  last  worils,  is  perfectly  correct.  The 
Pilot  obtains  a  great  part  of  his  food  directly  from  the  shark,  in  feeding 
on  the  parasite  crustaceans  with  which  sharks  and  other  large  fish  are 
infested,  and  on  the  smaller  pieces  of  flesh  which  are  left  unnoticed  by 
the  shark  when  it  tears  its  prey.  The  Pilot,  also,  being  a  small  fish, 
obtains  greater  security  when  in  company  of  a  shark,  which  would  keep  at 
a  distance  all  other  fishes  of  prey  that  would  be  likely  to  prove  dangerous 
to  the  Pilot.  Therefore,  in  accompanying  the  shark,  the  Pilot  is  led  by 
the  same  instinct  which  makes  it  follow  a  ship. 

With  regard  to  the  statement  that  the  Pilot  itself  is  never  attacked  by 
the  shark,  all  observers  agree  as  to  its  truth  ;  but  this  may  be  accounted 
for  in  the  saa^e  way  as  the  imi)unity  of  the  swallow  from  the  hawk,  the 
Pilot-fish  being  to  nimble  for  the  unwieldy  shark. 

I  quote  at  length  the  remarks  of  my  frientl,  Dr.  Francis  Day: 

"  This  fish  has  long  been  celebrated  as  the  companion  and  guide  of 
sharks,  as  it  was  formerly  said  to  be  of  whales,  and  also  the  friend,  or  at 
least  close  attendant,  on  shijjs  while  sailing  over  the  ocean.  Although 
some  consider  the  pilot-fish  to  be  the  friend  of  the  shark,  others  have 
thought  such  open  to  suspicion,  while  Cuvier  has  even  suggested  down- 
right enmity  or  rather  treachery  in  its  actions.  M.  Geoffrey  tells  how  two 
of  these  fishes  were  observed  to  lead  a  shark  up  to  a  baited  hook  which  by 
their  im])ortunities  they  induced  him  to  gorge.  Or  as  Cuvier  i)ithily  \n\ts 
it,  that  this  tale  if  true  should  occasion  them  to  be  termed  "deceivers" 
rather  than  "pilots."  Capt.  Richards  once  observed  upon  a  blue  shark 
attended  by  four  i)ilot-fishes  following  his  vessel  in  the  Mediterranean  ; 
a  l)ait  was  disi)laye(l,  but  the  little  jjilot-fishes  pertinaciously  came  to  the 
front  and  with  their  snouts  thrust  the  bait  hook  away.  All  at  last  swam 
away  together,  but  suddenly  the  shark  changed  its  mind,  turned  and  rushed 
forwards  with  all  speed  at  the  bait,  leaving  his  faithfiil  attendants  far  be- 
hind, and  which  only  arrived  as  the  body  of  their  companion  was  being 
hauled  up  on  board,  to  which  one  is  said  to  have  clung,  until  it  was  half 
above  water,  when  it  fell  off  leaving  it  doubtful  if  it  was  not  a  sucking 
fish.  Why  the  shark  does  not  jirey  on  its  companions  is  a  mystery. 
Lacepetle  thought  their  agility  saved  them,  and  that  their  flesh  is  not 
worthy  the  eating. 

"  In  the  Naturalists'  Note-book  (1869,  p.  255),  a  writer  (J.  D.  S.  W.) 
mentions  '  we  fre([uently  threw  pieces  of  flesh  into  the  water  to  them. 
The  pilot-fish  first  came  up  and  smelt  the  meat,  antl  then  went  away  and 
leil  the  shark  to  it,  who  always  swallowed  the  whole  and  left  none  for  his 
little  companions.     On  a  dark  night  you  can  see  the  entire  shape  of  the 


J 


II 


238 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


shark  in  the  water  l)elo\v,  shining  all  over  with  phosphorescence.  Now 
this  i)hosphorescence  is  considered  by  most  naturalists  to  be  due  to  the 
])resence  of  animalcules,  and  if  so,  it  may  reasonably  be  jircsumcd  that  the 
l)ilot-fishcs  live  on  tliese  animalcules,  for  they  are  frequently  seen  clinging 
to  the  sides  of  the  shark." 

The  Pilot-fish  does  not  always  leave  the  vessels  on  their  approach  to 
land.  In  summer,  when  the  temperature  of  the  sea-water  is  several 
degrees  al)ove  the  average,  Pilots  will  follow  ships  to  the  south  coast  of 
England  into  the  harbor,  where  they  are  generally  speedily  caaglit. 
Pilot-fish  attain  a  length  of  twelve  inches  only.  When  very  young  their 
ai)pearance  differs  so  much  from  the  mature  fish  that  they  have  been 
described  as  a  distinct  genus.  NoKch'nis.  This  fry  is  exceedingly  common 
in  the  open  ocean,  and  constantly  obtained  in  the  tow-net ;  therefore  the 
Pilot-fish  retains  its  pelagic  habits  also  during  the  spawning  season,  and 
some  of  the  spawn  found  by  voyagers  floating  on  tlie  surface  is.  without 
doubt,  derived  from  this  species.* 

The  Pilot-fish  has  been  observed  in  one  or  two  instances  about  New 
York,  and  also  has  been  recorded  from  South  Carolina.  It  is,  howe\er, 
rare  in  the  Western  Atlantic,  and  our  museums  have  \ery  few  s]»ecimens. 

*Gunther  ;  Study  of  Fishes,  p.  414. 


\ 


THE  SWUltUKISU. 


SWORD-FISH,    SPEAR-FISH,    AND    CUTLASS-FISH. 


'I'lAvard  tlie  se;i  turning  my  troubled  eye 
I  saw  the  fish,  (if  fish  I  may  it  cleepe) 
Tliat  makes  the  sea  before  his  face  to  flye 
Ami  with  Ills  flaggio  finnes  dotli  seeme  to  sweepe 
The  foamie  waves  nut  of  the  dreadful  deep. 
The  huge  Leviathan,  dame  Nature's  wonder, 
Making  his  sport,  that  manie  makes  to  weepe  ; 
A  Sword-fish  small,  him  from  the  rest  did  sunder. 
That,  in  his  throat  him  prickingly  softly  under, 
His  wide  abysse  him  forced  forth  to  spewe, 
That  all  the  sea  did  roare  like  heavens  thu  ider. 
And  all  the  waves  were  stained  with  filthie  hewe. 
Hereby  I  learned  have  not  to  <lespise 
Whatever  thing  seems  small  in  common  eyes. 

LuMUND  Si'ii.NSEK,   The  Visions  of  the  ll'orhi,  1591. 


'npHE  Sword-fish,  Xifhias  g/adiiis,  ranges  along  the  Atlantic  coast  of 
America  from  Jamaica,  latitude  i8°  N.,  Cuba,  and  the  Bermudas,  to 
Cajie  Breton,  latitude  47°  N.  It  has  noi  been  seen  at  Greenland,  Iceland, 
or  Spitzbergen,  but  occurs,  according  to  Collett,  at  the  North  Cape,  latitude 
71°.  It  is  abundant  along  the  coasts  of  Western  Europe,  entering  the 
Baltic  and  the  Mediterranean.  I  can  find  no  record  of  the  species  on  the 
west  coast  of  Africa,  south  of  the  Cape  Verdes,  though  Liitken,  who  may 
have  access  to  facts  unknown  to  me,  states  that  they  occur  clear  down  to 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  South  Atlantic  in  mid-ocean,  to  the  west  coast 
of  South  America  and  to  Southern  California,  latitude  34°,  New  Zealand, 
and  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  off  Mauritius. 

The  names  of  the  Sword-fish  all  have  reference  to  that  prominent  feature, 
the  prolonged  snout.  The  "Sword-fish"  of  our  own  tongue,  the 
*^  Zwaard-fis'''  of  the  Hollander,  the  Italian  "  Sofia''  and  "  Pcsce-spaiia," 


\    I 


2  40 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Ws 


the  Spaniards  ''  Espada,''  and  '■'■  Espadartc,''''  varied  by  '^  Pt'z  dc  spiuli'' 
in  Cuba;  and  the  French  '' Espado,/,''  "  Z>,rn/"  and  "  Epvc  dc  .}rcr;' 
are  simi)ly  variations  of  one  theme,  rei)etitions  of  the  "  G/ad/i/s"  of  an- 
cient Italy,  and  "  X/p/ii//s,'^  the  name  by  which  Aristotle  the  father  of 
zoology,  called  the  same  fish  twenty-three  hundred  years  ago.  The  French 
"  E//ipcr<'//'-,"  and  the  "  iMpcnidcr,"  and  ''Ocean  King-fish"  of  the 
Spanish  and  French  West  Indies,  carry  out  the  same  idea,  for  the  Roman 
emperor  was  always  represented  holding  a  drawn  sword  in  his  hand.  The 
Portuguese  names  are  "  A^i,^u//ia,"  ''  Agnl/uio,''  meaning  "needle"  or 
"  needle-fish." 

This  species  has  been  particularly  fortunate  in  escaping  the  numerous 
redescriptions  to  which  almost  all  widely  distributed  forms  have  been  sub- 
jected. By  the  writers  of  anticjuity,  it  was  spoken  of  under  its  Aristotelian 
name,  and  in  the  tenth  edition  of  his  Systema  Natural,  at  the  very  inception 
of  binomial  nomenclature,  Linnoeus  called  it  Xiphiiis  xArd/us.  By  this 
name  it  has  been  known  ever  since,  and  only  one  additional  name  is 
included  in  its  synonymy,  Xiphias  Roiidc/ctii  o{  Leach. 

The  sword-fish  has  been  so  long  and  so  well  known  that  its  right  to  its 
]K'culiar  name  has  seldom  been  infringed  upon.  The  various  species  of 
TctriTptunis  have  sometimes  shared  its  title,  and  this  is  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  since  they  closely  resemble  Xipldas  i^kuiiiis,  and  the  appellative  has 
frecjuently  been  applied  to  the  family  Xiphiidcc — the  Sword-fish  family — 
which  includes  them  all. 

The  name  "  Bill-fish,"  usually  applied  to  the  Tctraptiinis  albidits,  a  fish 
of  the  Sword-fish  family  often  taken  on  our  coast,  must  be  pronounced 
objectionable,  since  it  is  in  many  districts  used  for  the  various  species  of 
BclonidiC,  the  "gar-fishes"  or  "green-bones"  [Bc/on''  U-uncata  and 
others),  which  are  members  of  the  same  faunas.  "  Spear-fish  "  is  a  much 
better  name. 

The  "Sail-fish,"  Histioplionis  amcricaiuis,  is  called  by  sailors  in  the 
south  the  "  Boohoo  "  or  "  Woohoo."  This  is  evidently  a  corrupted  form 
of  "  Guebucu,"  a  name,  apparently  of  Indian  origin,  given  to  the  same 
fish  in  Brazil.  It  is  possible  that  the  Tctraptunis  is  also  called  "  Boohoo," 
since  the  two  genera  are  not  sufficiently  unlike  to  impress  sailors  with 
their  differences.  Bleeker  states  that  in  Sumatra  the  Malays  call  the  re- 
lated species,  //.  g/adiiis,  by  the  name  "  Joohoo "  [Jii/iu),  a  curious 
coincidence.  The  names  may  have  been  carried  from  the  Malay  Archi- 
jjclago,  to  South  America,  or  vice  rcrsd,  by  mariners. 


SWORD-FISH,  SPEAR-FISH  AND   CUTLASS-FISH.     241 

In  Cuba,  the  Spoar-fishes  are  called  '*  Ai^uja  "  and  "  Ai^i/Jd  de  Palada  "  ; 
the  Sail-fish,  '^  A^i^iija  Pricta'''  nr '' .Ij^i/Ja  ]  oladora'"  \  Tciraptunis  alhidus 
especially  is  known  as  the  '■^  A^^iija  Blaiica,'''  T.  alhidits  as  the  '•  Ai:;iijii  de 

CilSfO.'' 

In  the  West  Indies  and  Florida  the  scabbard-fish  or  silvery  hair-tail, 
Triiliiunis  Icpttinis,  a  form  allied  to  the  Xiphias,  though  not  resembling 
it  closely  in  external  appearance,  is  ot'ten  called  "Sword-fish."  The 
body  of  this  fish  is  shaped  like  the  blade  of  a  saber,  and  its  skin  has  a 
bright  metallic  lustre  like  that  of  polislied  steel  ;   hence  the  name. 

Sword-fish  are  most  abundant  on  the  shoals  near  the  shore  and  on  tlie 
banks  during  the  months  of  July  and  August ;  that  they  make  their 
api^earance  on  the  freijuented  cruising  grounds  between  IMontauk  Point 
and  the  eastern  part  of  George's  15anks  some  time  between  the  25th  of 
May  and  the  20th  of  June,  and  that  they  remain  until  the  approach  of 
cold  weather  in  October  and  November.  The  dates  of  the  capture  of  the 
first  fish  on  the  cruising  ground  referred  to  are  recorded  for  three  years, 
and  are  reasonably  reliable;  in  1S75,  June  20;  1877,  June  10;  1S78, 
June  14. 

South  of  the  cruising  ground  tlie  dates  of  arrival  and  departure  are 
doubtless  further  ai)art ;  the  season  being  shorter  north  and  east.  There 
are  no  means  of  obtaining  information,  since  the  men  engaged  in  this 
fishery  are  the  only  ones  likely  to  remember  the  dates  when  the  fish  are 
seen. 

The  Sword-fish  comes  into  our  waters  in  pursuit  of  its  food.  yVt  least 
this  is  the  most  probable  explanation  of  their  movements,  since  the  duties 
of  reproduction  appear  to  be  performed  elsewhere.  Like  the  tunny,  the 
blue-fish,  the  bonito,  and  the  scjueteague,  they  pursue  and  j)rey  upon  the 
schools  of  menhaden  and  mackerel  which  are  so  abundant  in  the  summer 
months.  "  When  you  see  Sword-fish,  you  may  know  that  mackerel  are 
about,"  said  an  old  fisherman  to  me.  "Where  you  see  the  fin-back 
whale  following  fooil,  there  you  may  find  Sword-fish,"  said  another. 
The  Sword-fish  also  feeds  upon  squid,  which  are  at  times  abundant  on  our 
banks. 

To  what  extent  this  fish  is  amenable  to  the  influences  of  temperature  is 
an  unsolved  problem.  We  are  met  at  the  out.set  by  the  fact  that  they  are 
frequently  taken  on  trawl-lines  which  are  set  at  the  depth  of  one  hundred 
tathoms  or  more,  on  the  off-Sihore  banks.     We  know  that  the  temperature 

16 


242 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


of  the  water  in  those  localities  and  at  that  depth  is  sure  to  be  less  than 
40°  Fahr.  How  is  this  fact  to  be  reconciled  with  the  known  habits  of  tlie 
fish,  that  it  jirefers  the  warmest  weather  of  summer  and  swims  at  the  sur- 
face in  water  of  temperature  ranging  from  55°  to  70°,  sinking  when  cool 
winds  blow  below?  The  case  seemed  clear  enough  until  the  inconvenient 
discovery  was  made,  that  Sword-fish  are  taken  on  bottom  trav,d-lines.  In 
other  respects  their  habits  agree  closely  with  those  of  the  mackerel  tribe, 
all  the  members  of  which  seem  sensitive  to  slight  changes  in  temperature, 
and  which,  as  a  rule,  prefer  temperature  in  the  neighborhood  of  50°  or 
more. 

The  appearance  of  the  fish  at  the  surface  dei)ends  ai)])arently  upon  tem- 
perature. They  are  seen  only  upon  (piiet  summer  days,  in  the  morning 
before  ten  or  eleven  o'clock,  and  in  the  afternoon  about  four  o'clock. 
Old  fishermen  say  that  they  rise  when  the  mackerel  rise,  and  when  the 
mackerel  go  down  they  go  down  also. 

Regarding  the  winter  abode  of  the  Sword-fish,  conjecture  is  useless.  I 
have  already  discussed  this  question  at  length  with  reference  to  the  men- 
haden and  mackerel.  With  the  Sword-fish  the  conditions  are  verv 
different.  Tlie  former  are  known  to  spawn  in  our  waters,  and  the  schools 
of  young  ones  follow  the  old  ones  in  toward  the  shores.  The  latter  do  not 
spawn  in  our  waters.  We  cannot  well  believe  that  they  hibernate,  nor  is 
the  hypothesis  of  a  sojourn  in  the  middle  strata  of  mid-ocean  exactly 
tenable.  Perhai)s  they  migrate  to  some  distant  region,  where  they  spawn. 
But  then  the  spawning  time  of  this  s|)ecies  in  the  Mediterranean,  as  is 
related  in  a  subsequent  paragraph,  appears  to  occur  in  the  summer  months, 
at  the  very  time  when  Sword-fish  are  most  abundant  in  our  own  waters, 
apparently  feeling  no  responsibility  for  the  perpetuation  of  their  species. 

The  Sword-fish  when  swimming  at  the  surface,  usually  allows  its  dorsal 
fin  and  the  upper  lobe  of  its  caudal  fin  to  be  visible,  projecting  out  of  the 
water  several  inches.  It  is  this  habit  which  enables  the  fisherman  to 
detect  the  presence  of  the  fish.  It  swims  slowly  along,  and  the  fishing 
schooner  with  a  light  breeze  finds  no  difficulty  in  overtaking  it.  When 
e.xcited  its  motions  are  very  rapid  and  nervous.  Sword-fish  are  sometimes 
seen  to  leap  entirely  out  of  the  water.  Early  writers  aitributed  this  habit 
to  the  tormenting  presence  of  parasites,  Init  this  theory  seems  hardly 
necessary,  knowing  what  we  do  of  its  violent  exertions  at  other  times. 
The  pointed  head,  the  fins  of  the  back  and  abdomen  snugly  fitting  into 


SU'ORD-J'ISn,  SPRAR-I'ISII  AND  CV'I LASS-JlSIf.        243 


grooves,  the  al)sence  of  ventrals,  the  long,  lithe,  muscular  body,  sloping 
slowly  to  the  tail,  fit  it  for  the  most  rapid  and  forcible  mo\ement  through 
the  water.  Trof.  Richard  Owen,  testifying  in  an  England  court  in  regard 
to  its  i)ower,  said  : 

"  It  strikes  with  the  accumulated  force  of  fifteen  double-handed  ham- 
mers. Its  velocity  is  eijual  to  that  of  a  swivel-shot,  and  is  as  dangerous 
in  its  effects  as  a  heavy  artillery  projectile." 

Many  very  curious  instances  are  on  record  of  the  encounters  of  this  fish 

with    other    fishes,    or    of  their  attacks  upon   shijis.       ^\'hat   can    be    the 

inducement  for  it  to  attack  objects  so  much  larger  than  itself  it  is  hard  to 

surmise.     We  are  all  familiar  with  the  couplet  from  Uppian  : 

Nature  lier  bounty  to  his  mouth  confined, 

Gave  liini  a  sword,  l)ut  left  unarmed  liis  mind. 

It  surely  seems  as  if  a  temporary  insanity  sometimes  takes  jiossession  of 
the  fish.  It  is  not  strange  that,  when  harpooned,  it  sliould  retaliate  b\- 
attacking  its  assailant.  An  old  sword-fisli  fisherman  told  Mr.  ]]lackford 
that  his  vessel  had  been  struck  twenty  times.  There  are,  however,  many 
instances  of  entirely  unjjrovoked  assault  on  \essels  at  sea.  Many  of  these 
are  recounted  in  a  later  portion  of  this  memoir.  'I'heir  movements  when 
feeding  are  discussed  below,  as  well  as  their  alleged  peculiarities  of  move- 
ment during  the  breeding  season. 

It  is  the  universal  testimony  of  our  fishermen  that  two  are  never  seen 
swimming  close  together.  Capt.  Ashby  says  that  they  are  always  distant 
from  each  other  at  least  thirty  or  forty  feet. 

The  pugnacity  of  the  Sword-fish  has  bec:ome  a  by-word.  Without  any 
special  effort  on  my  jxirt  numerous  instances  of  their  attacks  upon 
vessels  have  in  the  last  ten  years  found  their  way  into  die  pigeon-hole 
labeled  "Sword-fish." 

yEelian  says  (b.  xxxii.  c.  6)  that  the  Sword-fish  has  a  sharp-pointed 
snout,  with  which  it  is  able  to  pierce  the  sides  of  a  ship  and  send  it  to  the 
bottom,  instances  of  which  have  been  known  near  a  place  in  Mauritania 
known  as  Cotte,  not  far  from  the  river  Lixus,  on  the  African  side  of  the 
Mediterranean.  He  describes  the  sword  as  like  the  l)eak  of  the  ship 
known  as  the  trireme,  which  was  rowed  with  three  banks  of  oars. 

The  "London  Daily  News"  of  December  11,  1868,  contained  the 
following  paragraph,  which  emanated,  I  suspect,  from  the  pen  of  Prof. 
R.  A.  Proctor : 


244 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


"  Last  Wednesday  the  court  of  common  pleas — rather  a  strange  place, 
l)y-tlie-])y,  for  in(iuiring  into  the  natural  history  of  fishes — was  engaged 
for  several  hours  in  trying  to  determine  under  what  circumstances  a 
Sword-fish  might  be  able  to  escape  scot-free  after  thrusting  his  snout  into 
the  side  of  a  ship.  The  gallant  sliip  '  Dreadnought,'  thoroughly  repaired 
and  classed  A-i  at  Lloyd's,  had  been  insured  for  t'3,000  against  all  risks 
of  the  seas.  She  sailed  on  March  10,  1864,  from  Colombo,  for  London. 
Three  days  later  the  crew,  while  fishing,  hooked  a  Sword-fish.  Xi])hias, 
however,  broke  the  line,  and  a  few  moments  after  leaped  half  out  of  the 
water,  with  the  object,  it  should  seem,  of  taking  a  look  at  his  persecutor, 
the  '  Dreadnought.'  Probably  he  satisfied  himself  that  the  enemy  was 
some  al)normally  large  cetacean,  which  it  was  his  natural  duty  to  attack 
forthwith.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  attack  was  made,  and  at  four  o'clock 
the  next  morning  the  captain  was  awakened  with  the  unwelcome  intelli- 
gence that  the  shi])  had  sj-'rung  a  leak.  She  was  taken  back  to  Colombo, 
and  thence  to  Cochin,  where  she  hove  down.  Near  the  keel  was  found  a 
round  hole,  an  inch  in  diameter,  running  completely  through  the  copper 
sheathing  and  i)lanking. 

"As  attacks  ])y  Sword-fish  are  included  among  sea-risks,  the  insurance 
company  was  willing  to  jxiy  the  damages  claimed  by  the  owners  of  the 
ship  if  only  it  could  be  ])roved  that  the  hole  had  really  been  made  by  a 
Sword-fish.  No  instance  had  ever  been  recorded  in  which  a  Sword-fish 
had  been  able  to  withdraw  his  sword  after  attacking  a  ship.  A  defense 
was  founded  on  the  possibility  that  the  hole  had  been  made  in  some  other 
way.  Prof.  Owen  and  Mr.  Frank  Buckland  gave  their  evidence,  but 
neither  of  them  could  state  quite  positively  whether  a  Sword-fish  which 
had  passed  its  beak  through  three  inches  of  stout  planking  could  withdraw 
without  the  loss  of  its  sword.  Mr.  Buckland  said  that  fish  have  no  power 
of  '  backing,'  and  ex])ressed  his  belief  that  he  could  hold  a  Sword-fish  by 
the  beak ;  but  then  he  admitted  that  the  fish  had  considerable  lateral 
power,  and  might  so  '  wriggle  its  sword  out  of  the  hold.'  And  so  the  in- 
surance company  will  have  to  pay  nearly  .€600  because  an  ill-tempered  fish 
objected  to  be  hooked.,  and  took  its  revenge  by  running  full  tilt  against 
copper  sheathing  and  oak  planking." 

The  food  of  the  Sword-fish  is  of  a  very  mixed  nature. 

Dr.  Fleming  found  the  remains  of  Sepias  in  its  stomach,  and  also  small 
fishes.  Oppian  stated  that  it  eagerly  devours  the  Hippuris  (probably 
CotyphcBna).  A  specimen  taken  off  Seaconnet,  July  22,  1875,  had  in  its 
stomach  the  remains  of  small  fish,  perhaps  Stromateus  triacatithus,  and 
jaws  of  a  squid,  perhaps  Loligo  Pealii.  Their  food  in  the  Western  Atlan- 
tic consists  for  the  most  part  of  the  common  schooling  species  of  fishes. 
They  feed  on  menhaden,  mackerel,  bonitoes,  bluefish,  and  other  species 


SWORD-FISH,  SPEAR-FISH  AND  CUTLASS  FISH.     245 


St 


which  swim  in  (lose  schools.  Their  habits  of  feeding  liiive  often  been 
described  to  me  by  old  fishermen.  'I'hey  are  said  to  rise  beneath  tlie 
school  of  small  fish,  striking  to  the  right  and  left  with  their  swords  until 
they  have  killed  a  number,  whii  h  they  then  jjroceed  to  devour.  Meidia- 
den  have  been  seen  floating  at  the  surface  which  have  been  cut  nearly  in 
twain  by  a  blow  of  a  sword.  Mr.  John  11.  'rhompson  remarks  that  he 
has  seen  them  apparently  throw  the  fish  in  the  air,  catching  them  on  the 
fall. 

Capt.  Benjamin  Ashby  says  that  they  feed  on  mackerel,  herring,  whiting, 
and  menhailen.  He  has  found  half  a  bucketful  of  small  fish  of  these  kinils 
in  the  stomach  of  one  Sword-fish,  lie  has  seen  them  in  tiu'  act  of  feed- 
ing. They  rise  perpendicular  out  of  the  water  until  tlie  sword  and 
two-thirds  of  the  remainder  of  the  body  are  exposed  to  view,  lie  has 
seen  a  school  of  herring  crowding  together  at  the  surface  on  (leorge's 
Banks  as  closely  as  they  could  be  jjacked.  A  Sword-fish  came  up  through 
the  dense  mass  and  fell  fiat  on  its  side,  striking  many  iish  with  the  sides 
of  its  sword.  He  has  at  one  time  jiicked  up  as  much  as  a  bushel  of  her- 
rings thus  killed  by  a  Sword-fish  on  (leorge's  Bunks. 

But  little  is  known  regarding  their  time  and  j^lace  of  breeding.  They 
are  said  to  deposit  their  eggs  in  large  quantities  on  the  coasts  of  Sicily, 
and  European  writers  give  their  spawning  time  as  occurring  the  latter  part 
of  spring  and  the  beginning  of  summer.  In  the  Mediterranean  they  occur 
of  all  sizes  from  four  himdred  pounds  down,  and  the  young  are  so  plenti- 
ful as  to  become  a  common  article  of  food.  M.  Ravmond,  who  brought 
to  Cuvier  a  specimen  of  Histiophonis  four  inches  long,  taken  in 
January,  1829,  in  the  Atlantic,  between  the  Cape  of  (lood  Hope  and 
France,  reported  that  there  were  good  numbers  of  young  Sail-fish  in  the 
place  where  this  was  taken. 

Meunier,  quoting  S]:)allanzani,  states  that  the  Sword-fisli  does  not 
ai)proach  the  coast  of  Sicily  excejjt  in  the  season  of  reproduction  ;  the 
males  are  then  seen  jnirsuing  the  females.  It  is  a  good  time  to  capture 
them,  for  when  the  female  has  been  taken  the  male  lingers  near  and  is 
easily  approached.  The  fish  are  abundant  in  the  Straits  of  Messina  from 
the  middle  of  April  to  the  middle  of  Sei)tember  ;  early  in  the  season  they 
hug  the  Calabrian  shore,  approaching  from  the  north ;  after  the  end  of 
June  they  are  most  abundant  on  the  Sicilian  shore,  approaching  from  the 
south. 


24^ 


AMERICJX  F/S/IES, 


I'l-oin  otluT  (  ir(  unistances,  it  sccnis  ((.■rtain  tliat  there  are  spawning 
i^n-oimds  in  the  sea  near  Si(ily  and  (lenoa,  for  from  NOxeinlier  to  the  ist 
of  Marc  h  )diinj,f  ones  are  taken  in  the  Straits  of  Messina,  ranging  in  weight 
from  half  a  jwumkI  to  twelve  pounds. 

In  the  Mediterranean,  as  has  heen  already  stated,  the  very  young  fish 
are  found  from  \ovend)er  to  Mar<  h.  and  here  from  July  to  the  middle  of 
Sejitember  the  male  fish  are  seen  i)ursuing  the  temale  over  the  shoals,  and 
at  this  time  the  males  are  easily  taken.  Old  sword-fish  fishermen,  Cai)t. 
Ashhy  and  Capt.  Kirby,  assure  me  that  on  our  coast,  out  of  thousands  of 
Bpeeimens  they  have  taken,  they  have  never  seen  one  containing  eggs.  I 
have  myself  dissected  several  males,  none  of  which  were  near  breeding 
time.  In  the  luiropean  waters  they  are  said  ot'ten  to  be  seen  swimming  in 
pairs,  male  and  female.  Many  sentimental  stories  were  current,  especially 
among  the  old  writers,  concerning  the  conjugal  affection  and  unselfish 
devotion  of  the  Sword-fish,  but  these  seem  {o  have  originated  in  the 
imaginative  brain  of  the  naturalist  rather  than  in  his  perceptive  faculties. 
It  is  said  that  when  the  female  fish  is  taken  the  male  seems  devoid  of  fear, 
approaches  the  boat,  and  allows  himself  easily  to  be  taken  ;  init,  if  this  be 
true,  it  ai^pears  to  be  the  case  oi.iy  in  the  height  of  the  breeding  season, 
and  easily  understood.  I  cannot  learn  that  two  Sword-fish  have  ever  been 
seen  associated  together  in  our  waters,  though  I  have  made  frecpient  and 
diligent  incjuiry. 

There  is  no  inherent  improbability,  however,  in  this  story  regarding  the 
Sword-fish  in  Europe,  for  the  same  thing  is  stated  by  Prof.  Poey  as  the 
result  upon  the  habits  of  Tefraptiinis. 

The  only  individual  of  which  we  have  the  exact  measurements  was  taken 
off  Seaconnet,  R.  I.,  July  23,  1874.  This  was  seven  feet,  seven  inches 
long,  weighing  113  pounds.  Another,  taken  off  Noman's  Land,  July  20, 
1875,  and  cast  in  plaster  for  the  collection  of  the  National  Museum, 
weighed  120  pounds,  and  measured  about  seven  feet.  Another,  taken  off 
Portland,  August  15,  1878,  was  3,999  millimeters  long,  and  weighed 
about  600  ])ounds.  Many  of  these  fish  doubtless  attain  the  weight  of  400 
and  500  pounds,  and  some,  perhaps,  grow  to  600  ;  but  after  this  limit  is 
reached,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  larger  fish  are  exceptional.  Newspa^  ors 
are  fond  of  recording  the  occurrence  of  giant  fish,  weighing  1,500  pounds 
and  upwards,  and  old  sailors  will  in  good  faith  describe  the  enormous  fish 
which  they  saw  at  sea,  but  could  not  capture  ;  but  one  well-authenticated. 


sji'0Ar/:>-/'7.s7f,  sr/:.ik'./-7s/f  jxn  cc^T/Assj-is/r.    247 


instance  of  accurate  weii^'hinL,'  is  much  more  valuaMe,  'I"hc  largest  one 
ever  taken  liy  C'ajjt.  Uenjainin  Asiil)\ .  t'or  twenty  years  a  swonl-lish  lislier- 
man,  was  killed  on  the  shoals  Ikk  k  ot' VldgartiJwn,  Mass.  When  salted  it 
weighed  639  pounds.  Its  li\e  weight  must  iiave  been  as  mu(  h  as  750  or 
800.  Its  sword  measured  nearly  six  feet.  This  was  an  e\tra()rdiiuir\- 
fish  among  the  tliree  hundred  or  more  taken  l)y  ("apt.  Ashhy  in  his  long 
experience.  He  considers  the  average  size  to  he  about  250  pounds 
dressed,  or  525  alive.  Capt.  Martin,  of  Gloucester,  estimates  the  average 
size  at  300  to  400  pounds.  The  largest  known  to  (.'apt.  Michau\  weighed 
625.      The  average  anout  Block  Island  he  considers  to  be  200  pounds. 

The  size  of  the  smallest  Sword-fishes  taken  on  our  coast  is  a  subject  of 
much  deeper  interest,  for  it  throws  light  on  the  lime  and  place  of  breed- 
ing. There  is  some  difference  of  testimcjny  regarding  the  average  size, 
but  all  fishermen  with  whom  I  ha\e  talketl  agree  that  ver}-  small  ones  (h) 
not  find  their  way  into  our  shore  waters.  Numerous  very  small  specimens 
have,  however,  been  already  taken  by  the  i'"ish  Commission  at  sea,  off  our 
middle  and  southern  coast. 

Capt.  John  Rowe  has  seen  one  which  did  not  weigh  more  than  75 
pounds  when  taken  out  of  the  water. 

Capt.  R.  H.  Hurlbert  killed  near  r.loik  Island,  in  July,  1877,  one 
which  weighed  50  pounds,  and  measured  about  two  feet  without  its  sword. 

Capt.  Ashby's  smallest  weighed  about  25  pnunils  when  dressed  ;  this  he 
killed  off  Noman's  Land.  He  never  killed  another  which  weighed  less 
than  100.  He  tells  me  that  a  IJridgeport  smack  hail  one  weighing  16 
pounds  (or  probably  24  when  alive),  and  measuring  eighteen  inches  with- 
out its  sword. 

In  August,  1S78,  a  small  specimen  of  the  mackerel-shark,  Laiinia  cor- 
nubica,  was  captured  at  the  mouth  of  (lloucester  Harbor.  In  its  nostril 
was  sticking  the  swortl,  about  three  inches  long,  of  a  young  Sword-fish. 
When  this  was  pulled  out  the  l)lootl  flowed  freely,  indicating  that  the 
wound  was  recent.  The  fish  to  which  this  sword  belonged  cannot  have 
exceeded  ten  or  twelve  inches  in  length.  Whether  the  small  Sword-fish 
met  with  its  misfortune  in  our  waters,  or  whether  the  shark  brought  this 
trophy  from  beyontl  the  sea,  is  an  unsolved  problem. 

Lutken  speaks  of  a  very  young  individual  taken  in  the  Atlantic,  latitude 
32°  50'  N.,  longitude  74°  19'  W.  This  must  be  about  150  miles  southeast 
of  Cape  Hatteras. 


248 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Yox  many  years  from  three  to  six  luindrcd  of  these  fish  have  heeii  taken 
annually  on  tlie  New  England  coast.  It  is  not  unusual  for  twenty-five  or 
more  to  be  seen  in  the  course  of  a  single  day's  cruising,  and  sometimes  as 
many  as  this  are  visible  from  the  mast-head  at  one  time.  Capt.  Ashby 
saw  twenty  at  one  time,  in  August,  1839,  between  (leorge's  Hanks  and  the 
South  shoals.  One  (lloucester  schooner,  the  "Midnight,"  C"a])t.  Alfred 
Wixoni,  took  fourteen  in  one  day  on  (leorge's  Hanks,  in  1877. 

Ca])t.  John  Rowe  obtained  twenty  barrels,  or  four  thousand  jjounds.  of 
salt  fish  on  one  trip  to  (leorge's  Ikinks  ;  this  amount  rei)resents  twenty  fish 
or  more, 

Capt.  Ashby  has  killed  one  hundred  and  eight  Sword-fish  in  one  year; 
Capt.  M.  C.  Trijjp  killed  about  ninety  in  1S74. 

Such  instances  as  these  indicate  in  a  general  way  the  ai)undance  of  the 
Sword-fish.  A  vessel  cruising  within  fifty  miles  of  our  coast,  between 
Cape  May  and  Cape  Sable,  during  the  months  of  June,  July,  August,  and 
September,  cannot  fail,  on  a  favorable  day,  to  come  in  sight  of  several  of 
them.  Mr.  Earll  states  that  the  fishermen  of  Portland  ne\er  knew  them 
more  abundant  than  in  1879.  This  is  jirobably,  in  part,  due  to  the  fac  t 
that  the  fishery  there  is  of  very  recent  origin. 

'There  is  no  evidence  of  any  change  in  their  abundance,  eitlier  increase 
or  decrease.  Fishermen  agree  that  they  are  as  i)lenty  as  ever,  nor  can 
any  change  be  anticipated.  The  present  mode  of  fishing  does  not  destroy 
them  in  any  considerable  numbers,  each  individual  fish  being  the  object  of 
special  i)ursuit.  The  solitary  habits  of  the  species  will  always  protect 
them  from  wholesale  capture,  so  destructive  to  schooling  fish.  Even  if 
this  were  not  the  case,  the  e\  idence  proves  that  spawning  Sword-fish  do 
not  frequent  our  waters.  When  a  female  shad  is  killed,  thousands  of  pos- 
sible young  die  also.  The  Sword-fish  taken  by  our  fishermen  carry  no 
such  precious  burden. 

"The  small  Sword-fish  is  very  good  meat,"  remarked  Josselyn,  in 
writing  of  the  fishes  of  New  England  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Since 
Josselyn  jirobably  never  saw  a  young  Sword-fish,  unless  at  some  time  he 
had  visited  the  Mediterranean,  it  is  fair  to  supi)ose  that  his  information 
was  derived  from  some  Italian  writer. 

It  is,  however,  a  fact  that  the  flesh  of  the  Sword-fish,  though  somewhat 
oily,  is  a  very  acceptable  article  of  food.  Its  texture  is  coarse  ;  the  thick, 
fleshy,  muscular  layers  cause  it  to  resemble  that  of  the  halibut  in  consist- 


siroAW)  J-7S//.  s/'/:aa'/'Vs//  JA7)  ccir.Assj'/sjf.      z^i) 


fiK'v.  Its  ll;i\(ir  is  by  many  consitk'ri.'il  fiiu',  ami  is  not  imlikr  that  nt'tlu- 
lihiifish.  Its  color  is  gray.  'I'Ik-  iiuat  of  the  young  fish  is  highly  jiri/id 
on  the  Mt'ditirraiH'an.  and  is  said  to  he  pfrfcctly  whiti',  « ()ni|ia(  t.  and  of 
delicate  llavor.  Sword-fish  are  usually  cut  up  into  steaks — thick  slices 
across  the  liod)' — and  may  be  broiled  or  boiled. 

The  apparatus  ordinarily  employed  tor  the  (  apture  of  the  Sword-fish  is 
simple  in  tin.'  e\treuu'.  It  is  a  harpoon  with  detat  hable  1h\u1.  W  hen 
the  fish  is  struck,  the  head  of  the  harpoon  remains  in  the  bod\  of  tlu'  fish, 
anil  carries  with  it  a  light  rope,  wliic  li  is  I'ither  made  fast  or  held  by  a  man 
in  a  small  boat,  or  is  attaihed  to  some  kind  of  a  buoy,  which  is  towi'd 
through  the  water  by  the  struggling  fish,  and  whi(  h  marks  its  whereabouts 
after  death. 

The  harpoon  consists  of  a  pole  15  or  1  6  feet  in  length,  usuallv  of  hie  kory 
or  some  other  hard  wood,  upon  which  the  bark  has  been  left,  so  that  the 
harpooner  may  have  a  firmer  hand-gri]).  This  jtole  is  from  an  im  h  and  a 
half  to  two  inches  in  diameter,  and  at  one  end  is  i)rovided  witli  an  iron 
rod,  or  "shank,"  about  two  feet  long  and  fi\e-eighths  of  ;in  nu  h  in 
diameter.  This  "shank"  is  fastened  to  the  pole  by  means  of  a  coni(  al 
or  elongated,  cu])-like  expansion  at  one  end.  whi(  h  fits  o\er  the  shariieiied 
end  of  the  \n)\v,  to  which  it  is  secured  by  screws  or  spikes.  A  light  line 
extends  from  one  end  of  the  |)ole  to  the  point  where  it  joins  tlie  "  shank," 
and  in  this  line  is  tied  a  loop,  by  which  is  made  fast  another  short  line 
which  secures  the  jiole  to  the  vessel  or  boat,  so  that  when  it  is  thrown  at 
the  fish  it  cannot  be  lost. 

Upon  the  end  of  the  "  shank  "  fits  the  head  of  the  har]ioon.  known  bv 
the  names  S7C>t>n/-/Is/i  iron,  lily-iron,  and  fmiian-dart.  The  form  of  this 
weapon  has  undergone  much  \ariation.  The  fundamental  idea  may  \ery 
possibly  have  l)een  derived  from  the  Indian  fish-dart,  numerous  specimens 
of  which  are  in  the  National  Museum,  i"rom  various  tribes  of  Indians  of  New 
Mngland,  British  America,  and  the  Pacific.  I  lowever  various  the  modilic  a- 
tions  may  have  been,  the  similarity  of  the  different  shapes  is  no  less  note- 
worthy from  the  fact  that  all  are  ])ecul,arly  American,  in  the  enormous  col- 
lection of  fishery  implements  of  all  lands  in  the  late  exhibition  at  ISerlin, 
nothing  of  the  kind  could  be  found.  What  is  known  to  whalers  as  a  toggle- 
harpoon  is  a  modification  of  the  lily-iron,  but  so  greatly  changed  b\-  tlie  ad- 
dition of  a  pivot  by  which  the  head  of  the  harjioon  is  tastened  to  tlie  shank 
that  it  can  hardly  l>e  regarded  as  the  same  weapon.   The  lily-iron  is,  in  jirinci 


250 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


pic,  exactly  what  a  whalemen  would  describe  by  the  word  "  toggle."  It 
consists  of  a  two-pointed  piece  of  metal,  having  in  the  centre,  at  one  side, 
a  ring  or  socket,  the  axis  of  which  is  parallel  with  the  long  diameter  of  the 
implement.  In  this  is  inserted  the  end  of  the  pole-shank,  and  to  it  or 
near  it  is  also  attached  the  harpoon-line.  When  the  iron  has  once  been 
thrust  point  first  through  some  solid  substance,  such  as  the  side  of  a  fish, 
and  is  released  ujxjn  the  other  side  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  pole  from  the 
socket,  it  is  free,  and  at  once  turns  its  long  axis  at  right  angles  to  the 
directi(-)n  in  which  the  harpoon-line  is  pulling,  and  thus  is  absolutely  pre- 
vented from  withdrawal.  The  principle  of  the  whale-harpoon  or 
toggle-iron  is  similar,  except  that  the  pole  is  not  withdrawn,  and  the  head, 
turning  upon  a  pivot  at  its  end,  fastens  the  pole  itself  securely  to  the  fish, 
the  harpoon-line  being  attached  to  some  part  of  the  pole.  The  Sword-fish 
lily-iron  head,  as  now  ordinarily  used,  is  about  four  inches  in  length,  and 
consists  of  two  lanceorate  blades,  each  aliout  an  inch  and  a  half  long, 
connected  by  a  central  piece  much  thicker  than  they,  in  which,  upon  one 
side,  and  next  to  the  Hat  side  of  the  blade,  is  the  socket  for  the  insertion 
of  the  poieplank.  In  this  same  central  enlargement  is  forged  an  opening 
to  which  the  harpoon-line  is  attached.  The  dart-head  is  usually  made  of 
steel  ;  sometimes  of  iron,  which  is  generally  galvanized  ;  sometimes  of 
brass. 

The  entire  weight  of  the  harpoon-pole,  shank,  and  head,  should  not 
exceed  \  S  pounds. 

The  harijoon-line  is  from  50  to  150  fathoms  long,  and  is  ordinarily 
what  is  known  as  ''  fifteen- thread  line."  At  the  end  is  sometimes  fast- 
ened a  buoy,  and  an  ordinary  mackerel  keg  is  generally  used  for  this 
purpose. 

In  addition  to  the  harpoon,  every  Sword-fisherman  carries  a  lance. 
Tb.is  implement  is  precisely  similar  to  a  whaleman's  lance,  excejit  that  it 
is  smaller,  consisting  of  a  lanceolate  blade  perhaps,  one  inch  wide  and  two 
inches  long,  upon  ihe  end  of  a  shank  of  five-eighths-inch  iron,  perhaps  two 
or  three  feet  in  length,  fastened  in  the  ordinary  way  upon  a  jwle  15  to  18 
feet  in  length. 

The  Sword-fish  r.re  always  harpooned  frt)m  the  end  of  the  bowsprit  of  a 
sailing-vessel.  It  is  next  to  impossible  to  approach  them  in  a  small  boat. 
All  vessels  reguarly  engaged  in  thi^-  fishery  are  supplied  with  a  special 
apparatus,  cr'.icd  a  "  rest  "  or  "  pulpit,"  for  the  support  of  the  harjiooner 


SWORD-FISH,  SPEAR- FISH  AND   CUTLASS-FISIF. 


as  he  stands  on  the  bowsprit,  and  this  is  almost  essential  to  success, 
although  it  is  ])ossil)le  for  an  active  man  to  harpoon  a  fish  from  this  station 
without  the  aid  of  the  ordinary  frame-work.  Not  only  the  professional 
Swore' -fishermen,  but  many  mackerel  schooners  and  packets  are  supplied 
in  this  manner. 

The  Sword-fish  never  comes  to  the  surface  except  in  moderate,  smo(.)tIi 
weather.  A  vessel  cruising  in  search  of  them,  proceeds  to  the  fishin,<( 
ground,  and  cruises  hither  and  thither  wherever  the  i'.bi.ndance  of  small 
fish  indicates  that  they  ought  to  be  found.  Vessels  which  are  met  are 
hailed  and  asked  whether  any  Sv  M-d-fish  have  been  seen,  and  if  tiding  are 
thus  obtained,  the  shijj's  course  is  at  once  laid  for  the  locality  where  they 
were  last  noticed.  A  man  is  always  stationed  at  the  masthead,  where, 
ivith  the  keen  eye  which  practice  has  given  him,  he  can  easily  descry  th.e 
tell-tale  dorsal  fins  at  a  distance  of  two  or  three  miles.  \\'hen  a  fish  lias 
once  been  sighted,  the  watcdi  "  sings  out,"  and  the  vessel  is  steered 
directly  towards  it.  The  skipper  takes  his  place  in  the  "  pulpit,"  holding 
the  pole  in  both  hands  by  the  small  end,  and  directing  the  man  at  the 
wheel  by  voice  and  gesture  how  to  steer.  There  is  no  difficulty  in 
approaching  the  fisli  with  a  large  vessel,  although,  as  has  already  been 
remarked,  they  will  not  suffer  a  small  boat  to  come  near  them.  The  \es- 
sel  plows  and  swashes  through  the  water,  p>hmging  its  bowsprit  into  the 
waves,  without  exciting  their  fears.  Noises  frighten  them  and  dri\e  them 
down.  Although  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  bringing  the  end  of  the 
bowsprit  directly  over  the  fish,  a  skilful  harpooner  never  waits  for  this. 
When  the  fish  is  from  6  to  lo  feet  in  front  of  the  vessel  it  is  struck.  The 
harpoon  is  never  thrown,  the  pole  being  too  long.  The  str(jng  arm  of  tlie 
harpooner  ])unches  tlie  dart  into  the  back  of  the  fish,  right  at  the  side  of 
the  high  dorsal  fin,  and  the  pole  is  withdrawn  and  fastened  again  to  its 
place  When  the  dart  has  been  fastened  to  the  fish  the  line  is  allowed  to 
run  out  as  far  as  the  fish  will  carry  it,  and  is  then  passed  in  a  small  boat, 
which  is  towing  at  the  stern.  Two  men  jump  into  this,  and  pulling  in 
upon  the  line  until  the  fish  is  brought  in  alongside,  it  is  then  killed  with 
a  whale-lance  or  a  whale-spade,  which  is  stuck  into  the  gilU. 

The  fish  having  been  killed,  it  is  lifted  upon   the   (le(  k   by   a  ])urchase- 
tackle  6f  two  double  blocks  rigged  in  the  shrouds. 

The  pursuit   of  the   Sword-fish   is   much   more   exciting   than   ordinary 
fishing,  for  it  resembles  the  hunting  of  large  animals  upon  the  land,  and 


1 


252 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


partakes  more  of  the  nature  of  the  chase.  There  is  no  slow  or  careful 
baiting  and  i)atient  waiting,  and  no  disappointment  caused  l)y  the  acci- 
dental capture  of  worthless  "  bait-stealers."  The  game  is  sec:!  and 
followed,  and  outwitted  by  wary  tactics,  and  killed  by  strength  of  arm  and 
skill.  The  Sword-fish  is  a  i)owerful  antagonist,  sometimes,  and  sends  his 
pursuers'  vessel  into  harbor  leaking,  and  almost  sinking,  from  injuries 
which  he  has  inflicted.  I  have  known  a  vessel  to  be  struck  by  wounded 
Sword-fish  as  many  as  twenty  times  in  a  season.  There  is  even  the  spice 
of  personal  danger  to  give  savor  to  the  chase,  for  the  men  are  occasionally 
injured  by  the  infuriated  fish.  One  of  Capt.  Ashby's  crew  was  severely 
wounded  by  a  Sword-fish  which  thrust  his  beak  through  the  oak  fioor  of  a 
boat  on  which  he  was  standing,  and  penetrated  about  two  inches  in  his 
naked  heel.  The  strange  fascination  draws  men  to  this  pursuit  when  they 
have  once  learned  its  charms.  An  old  Swords-fisherman,  who  had  followed 
the  pursuit  for  twenty  years,  told  me  that  when  he  was  on  the  cruising 
ground,  he  fished  all  night  in  his  dreams,  and  that  many  a  time  he  has 
bruised  his  hands  and  rubbed  the  skin  off  his  knuckles  by  striking  them 
against  the  ceiling  of  his  bunk  when  he  raised  his  arms  to  thrust  the  har- 
poon into  visionary  monster  Sword-fishes. 

The  Bill-fish  or  Spear-fish,  Tctraptitnis  iihiiciis  (with  various  related 
forms,  whi<  Ii  may  or  may  not  be  specifically  identical)  occurs  in  the  \\'estern 
Atlantic  from  the  West  Indies,  latitude  10°  to  20°  X.,  to  Southern  Xe\v 
England,  latitude  42°  X.;  in  the  Eastern  Atlantic,  from  Gibralter,  latitude 
45°  X.,  to  the  Ca])e  of  (lood  Hope,  latitude  30°  S.:  in  the  Indian  Ocean, 
the  ISIalay  Archipelago.  Xew  Zealand,  latitude  40"  S..  and  on  the  west 
coast  of  Chila  and  Peru.  In  a  general  way,  the  rang<-  is  between  latitude 
40°  X.,  and  latitude  40°  S. 

The  s})ecies  of  Tctrapfiinis  which  we  have  been  accustomed  to  (  all  T. 
alhidiis,  abundant  about  Cuba,  is  not  very  unusual  on  the  coast  of 
Southern  Xew  b'ngland.  Several  are  taken  every  year  by  tlie  Sword-fish 
fishermen.  J  have  not  known  of  their  capture  along  the  Southern  Atlantic 
coast  of  the  United  States.  All  I  ha\  e  known  about  were  taken  between 
Sandy  Hook  and  the  eastern  j)art  of  Oeorge's  IJanks. 

The  Mediterranean  Spear-fish,  Tdraptunis  hcloiic,  ajipears  to  be  a  land- 
locked form,  ne\er  jiassing  west  of  the  Straits  of  (libraiter. 

The  S])ear-fish  in  our  waters  is  said  by  our  fishermen  to  resemble  the 
Sword-fish  in  its  movements  and  manner  of  feedinL,^      I'rof.  roe\'  narrates 


\y\ 


SWORD-FISH,  SPEAR-FISH  AXD  CUTLASS-FISH      „'53 


that  both  the  Cuban  species  swim  at  a  depth  of  one  hundred  fathoms,  and 
they  journey  in  ])airs,  shaping  their  course  toward  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  the 
females  being  full  of  eggs.  Only  adults  are  taken.  It  is  not  known 
whence  they  come,  or  where  they  breed,  or  how  the  young  return.  It  is 
not  e\en  known  whether  the  adult  fishes  return  by  the  same  route.  Wlien 
the  fish  has  swallowed  the  hook  it  rises  to  the  surf;\ce,  making  prodigious 
leaps  and  plunges.  At  last  it  is  dragged  to  the  boat,  secured  with  a  boat- 
hook,  and  beaten  to  death  before  it  is  hauled  on  board.  Such  fishing  is 
not  without  danger,  for  the  Spear-fish  sometimes  rushes  upon  the  boat, 
drowning  the  fisherman,  or  wounding  him  with  its  terrible  weapon.  The 
fish  becomes  furious  at  the  appearance  of  sharks,  which  are  its  natural 
enemies.  They  engage  in  violent  combats,  and  when  the  Spear-fish  is 
attached  to  the  fisherman's  line  it  often  received  frightful  wounds  from 
these  adversaries. 

The  Sjiear-fish  strikes  vessels  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Sword-fish.      I 
am  indebted  to  Capt.  William  Spicer,  of  Xoank,  Conn.,  for  this  note: 


TIIR  SPFAR-l'ISII. 


"  Mr.  William  Taylor,  of  Mystic,  a  man  seventy-six  years  old,  who  was 
in  the  smack  *  F^vergreen,'  Capt.  John  Ap|)leman,  tells  me  that  they 
started  from  Mystic,  October  3,  1832,  on  a  fishing  voyage  to  Key  West,  in 
company  with  the  smack  '  Morning  Star,'  Cajit.  Rowland.  On  the  12th 
were  off  Cape  Hatteras,  the  wind  blowing  heavily  from  the  northeast,  and 
the  smack  under  double-reefed  sails.  At  10  o'clock  in  the  evening  they 
were  struck  by  a  '  Woho'  (-<"/V),  which  shocked  the  vessel  all  over.  The 
smack  was  leaking  badly,  and  they  made  a  signal  to  the  '  Morning  Star  ' 
to  keep  close  by  them.  The  next  morning  they  found  the  leak,  and  both 
smacks  kept  off  to  Charleston.  On  arrival  they  took  out  the  i)allast,  hove 
her  out,  and  found  that  the  sword  had  gone  through  the  jjlanking,  timber, 
and  ceiling.     The  plank  was  two  inches  thick,  the  timber  five  inches,  and 


'km 


ii. 


li 


i   M'^ 


i^: 


254 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


the  ceiling  one  and  a  lialf  inches  white  oak.  The  sword  jjrojected  two 
inches  through  the  ceiling,  on  the  inside  of  the  '  after  run.'  It  struck  by 
a  l)utt  on  the  outside,  which  caused  the  leak.  They  took  out  and  replaced 
a  piece  of  the  plank,  and  proceeded  on  their  voyage." 

The  Sail-fish,  Histioplionis  gladius  (with  H.  amcncamis  and  //.  orien- 
ialis,  (piestionable  species,  and  H.  pulchcllus  and  H.  imiiiaculatiis,  young), 
occurs  in  the  Red  Sea,  Indian  Ocean,  Malay  Archipelago,  and  south  at 
least  as  far  as  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  latitude  35°  S.;  in  the  Atlantic  on 
the  coast  of  Brazil,  latitude  30°  S..  to  the  Eipiator,  and  north  to  Southern 
New  ICngland,  latitude  42°  N.;  in  the  Pacific  to  Southwestern  Japan, 
latitude  30°  to  10°  N.  In  a  general  way  the  range  may  be  said  to  be  in 
tropical  and  temperate  seas,  between  latitude  30°  S.  and  40°  N..  and  in 
the  western  jxxrts  of  those  seas. 

The  first  allusion  to  this  genus  occurs  in  Piso's  "  Historia  Naturalis 
P)rasilii\;,"  ])rinted  at  Amsterdam  in  1648.  In  this  book  may  be  found  an 
identifiable  though  rough  figure  of  the  American  species,  accompanied  by 
a  few  lines  of  description,  which,  though  good,  Avhen  the  fact  that  they 
were  written  in  the  seventeenth  century  is  brought  to  mind,  are  of  no  value 
for  critical  comparison. 

The  name  given  to  the  Brazilian  Sail-fish  by  Marcgrave,  the  talented 
young  German  who  described  the  fishes  in  the  book  referred  to,  and  who 
afterwards  sacrificed  his  life  in  exj)loring  the  unknown  fields  of  American 
zoology,  was  Gitcbiicii  brasilicusilnis.  The  use  of  tlie  name  Gitcbucu  is 
interesting,  since  it  gives  a  clew  to  the  derivation  of  the  name  "  Boohoo," 
by  which  this  fish,  and  ])rol)ably  the  Spear-fishes,  are  known  to  English- 
speaking  sailors  in  the  tropical  Atlantic. 

Sail-fishes  were  observed  in  the  East  Indies  by  Renard  and  Valcntijn, 
explorers  of  that  region  from  1680  to  1720,  and  by  other  eastern  voyagers. 
No  species  of  the  genus  Avas,  however,  systematically  described  until  1786, 
when  a  stuffed  specimen  from  the  Indian  Ocean,  eight  feet  long,  was  taken 
to  London,  where  it  still  remains  in  the  collections  of  the  British  Museum. 
From  this  specimen  M.  Broussonet  prepared  a  description,  giving  it  the 
name  Scomber  gladius,  rightly  regarding  it  as  a  species  allied  to  the 
mackerel. 

From  the  time  of  Marcgrave  until  1872  it  does  not  ajijjcar  that  any 
zoologist  had  any  opportunity  to  study  a  Sail-fish  from  America,  or  even 
from  the  Atlantic  ;  yet  in  Gunther's  Catalogue,  the  name  //.  amcricanus 


SWORD-FISH,  SPEAR-FISH  AND   CUTLASS-FISH. 


■33 


is  discarded  and  the  species  of  America  is  assumed  to  lie   identical  with 
that  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 

The  materials  in  the  National  Museum  consist  of  a  skeleton  and  a 
painted  plaster  cast  of  the  specimen  taken  near  New])ort,  R.  I.,  in  1872, 
and  a  drawing  made  from  the  same,  while  fresh,  by  Mr.  J.  H.  IJlake. 

The  occurrence  of  the  Sail-fish  is,  as  has  been  already  stated,  very 
unusual.  Marcgrave  saw  it  in  Brazil  as  early  as  1648.  Sagra  and  Toev 
mention  that  it  has  been  seen  about  Cuba,  and  Schomburgk  includes  it  in 
his  Barbadoes  list.  The  s])ecimen  in  the  United  States  National  Museum 
was  taken  off  Newport.  R.  1.,  in  August.  1872,  and  given  to  I'rof.  Baird 
by  Mr.  Samuel  Powell,  of  Newport.  No  others  were  obserxed  in  our 
waters  until  March,  1878,  wlien,  according  to  Mr.  Neyle  Habersham,  of 
Savannah,  Ga.,  two  were  taken  by  a  vessel  between  Savannah  and  Indian 
River,  Fla.,  and  were  brought  to  Savannah,  where  they  attracted  much 
attention  in  the  market.  In  1873,  according  to  Mr.  ]•'..  (1.  Blackford,  a 
sjK'cimen  in  a  very  mutilated  condition  was  brought  from  Key  West  to 
New  York  City. 

No  observations  have  been  made  in  this  country,  and  recourse  must  be 
had  to  the  statements  of  observers  in  the  other  hemis|)liere. 

In  the  life  of  Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  is  ])rinted  a  letter  from  Singapore, 
under  date  of  November  30,  1S22,  with  the  following  statement  : 

'*  The  only  amusing  discovery  we  have  recently  made  is  that  of  a  sailing 
fish,  called  by  the  natives,  Ikan  layer,  of  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  long, 
which  hoists  a  mainsail,  and  often  sails  in  the  manner  of  a  native  boat, 
and  with  considerable  swiftness.  I  have  sent  a  set  of  the  sails  home,  as 
they  are  beautifully  cut  and  form  a  model  for  a  fast-sailing  boat.  AVhen 
a  school  of  these  are  under  sail  together  they  are  frec[uently  mistaken  for 
a  fleet  of  native  boats." 

The  fish  referred  to  is  in  all  likelihood  Histiopliorus  }i/iidii/s,  a  species 
very  closely  related  to,  if  not  identical,  with  our  own. 

The  Cutlass-fish,  Triiliiurus  Icptiiriis,  unfortunately  known  in  T'-astern 
Florida  and  at  I'ensacola  as  the  '' Sword-lish  " ;  at  New  Orleans,  in  tli;- 
St.  John's  River,  and  at  Brunswick,  Ga..  it  is  known  as  the  '•  Siher  Kel," 
on  the  coast  of  Texas  as  "  Sabre-fish."  while  in  the  Indian  River  region 
it  is  called  the  "  Skipjack."  No  one  of  these  names  is  ]xirticularly  ai)pli- 
cable,  and  the  latter  being  pre-occupied.  it  would  seem  advantageous  to 
use  in  this  country  the  name  "  Cutlass-fish,"  which  is  c  urrent  for  the  same 
species  ii-  the  British  West  Indies. 


*l 


n 


256 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Sj  1    ill- 


i^i''!';  3 


u  . ,; 


Its  appearance  is  very  remarkable  on  account  of  its  long,  compressed 
form  and  its  glistening,  silvery  color.  The  name  "  Scabbard-fish,"  which 
has  l)een  given  to  an  allied  species  in  Europe,  would  be  very  proper  also 
for  this  species,  for  in  general  shape  and  appearance  it  looks  very  like  the 
metallic  scabbard  of  the  sword.  It  attains  the  length  of  four  or  five  feet, 
though  ordinarily  not  exceeding  twenty-five  or  thirty  inches.  This  species 
is  found  in  the  tropical  Atlantic,  on  the  coast  of  Brazil,  in  the  (lulf  of 
('alifornia,  the  West  Indies,  the  (iulf  of  Mexico,  and  north  to  AVood's 
HoU,  Mass.,  where,  during  the  past  ten  years,  specimens  have  occasionally 
been  taken.  In  1845  one  was  found  at  Wellfleet,  Mass.;  and  in  the  Essex 
Institute  is  a  specimen  which  is  said  to  have  been  fountl  in  Salem  Harbor. 
The  species  occurs  also  on  the  coast  of  Europe,  two  specimens  having  been 
found  on  the  shores  of  the  Moray  Frith  many  years  ago,  and  during  the 
l)ast  decade  it  has  become  somewhat  abundant  in  Southern  England.  It 
does  not,  however,  enter  the  Mediterranean.  Some  writers  believed  the 
allied  species,  TricJiiurus  liaiimcla,  found  in  the  Indian  Ocean  and  Archi- 
pelago and  in  various  parts  of  the   Pacific,   to  be  specifically  the  same. 

The  Cutlass-fish  is  abundant  in  the  St.  John's  River,  Fla.,  in  the  Indian 
River  region,  and  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Several  instances  were  related 
to  me  in  which  these  fish  had  thrown  themselves  from  the  water  into  row- 
boats,  a  feat  which  might  be  very  easily  performed  by  a  lithe,  active 
species  like  the  TricJiiurus.  A  small  one  fell  into  a  boat  crossing  the 
mouth  of  the  Arlington  River,  where  the  water  is  nearly  fresh. 

Many  individuals  of  the  same  species  are  taken  every  year  at  the  mouth 
of  the  St.  John's  River,  at  Mayport.  Stearns  states  that  they  are  caught 
in  the  deep  waters  of  the  bays  about  Pensacola,  swimming  nearly  at  the 
surface,  but  chiefiy  with  hooks  and  lines  from  the  wharves.  He  has  known 
them  to  strike  at  the  oars  of  the  boat  and  at  the  end  of  the  ropes  that 
trailed  in  the  water.  At  Pensacola  they  reach  a  length  of  twenty  to  thirty 
inches,  and  are  considered  good  food-fish.  Richard  Hill  states  that  in 
Jamaica  this  s])ecies  is  much  esteemed,  and  is  fished  for  assiduously  in  a 
"hole,"  as  it  is  called,  that  is,  a  deep  portion  of  the  waters  off  Fort 
Augusta.  This  is  the  best  fishing  place  for  the  Cutlass-fish,  TricJiiurus. 
The  fishing  takes  place  before  day  ;  all  lines  are  pulled  in  as  fast  as  they 
are  thrown  out,  with  the  certainty  that  the  Cutlass  has  been  hooked.  As 
many  as  ninety  boats  have  been  counted  on  this  fishing  ground  at  day- 
break during  the  season. 


:  Ji., 


V//y.. 


THK  ItOSEKISH. 


THE  ROSE-FISH  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


And  tlicre  wjro  cryst^il  iiduIs,  i)er>plcil  wilh  fi-.h, 
Argent  aiul  j^M  ;  and  Sdiiic  cif 'I'yrian  skin, 

Sumc  crinison-iiarrcd.     And  cvi:r  at  a  wisli 
They  rose  oliseiiuinus,  till  the  wave  yrew  tliin 

As  i;lass  upon  their  hacks,  ;inil  tlieii  dived  in, 
(Quenching  their  ardent  scales  in  watery  ^Inom, 

Whilst  Dthers  with  fresh  hues  rowed  forth  to  win 

My  changeable  regard. 


Thomas  Hood. 


/\  LTHOUOPI  upon  the  west  coast  of  Xortli  America  the  fislies  of  tlie 
family  Scor/'crnii/a'  are  among  the  most  important,  there  are  only  four 
species  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  our  continent  ;  (>f  these,  two  have  be  ■■ 
discovered  within  the  jiast  decade,  and  the  others,  though  weM  known  avd 
widely  distributed,  are  not  of  great  importance.  The  Rf)se- "ish,  ^'i-/>asU\s 
inariniis,  is  conspicuous  among  cold-water  fishes  by  its  brilliant  scarlet 
color;  it  is  known  as  "  Red  Perch,"*  "Norway  Haddock,"  '•Ilemdur- 
gan,"  and  "Snapper,"  as  "Bream"  in  (lloucester,  Mass.,  and  "John 
Dory"  at  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia.  It  is  found  also  in  Northern  Europe, 
wliere  it  has  been  recorded  as  far  south  as  Newcastle,  in  Northern  Mngtand, 
latitude  55".!  ^'^^^  it  has  been  observed  in  Aberdeen  and  Berwick,  and  in 
Zetland,  where  it  is  called  "  Bergylt  "  and  "  Norway  Haddock." 

*  In  distinction  from  the  "  lilue  perch  "  or  "  ciinner  "  (Ctowlaln-us  iiJjJ>i:rsus),  w  liich  it  resembles  in  form, 
thoni;h  not  in  color. 
tGiNDiKu;  Cat.  F'ishes  lirit.  Mus.  2,  p.  26. 


25S 


AMERICAX  F J  SUES. 


m. 


On  the  eastern  side  of  tlie  North  sea  tlie  species  Iku.  not  lieen  scm  soiitli 
of  (lothenborg.  latitude  5.^°,  but  is  said  to  be  abunchint  aloiiLf  tlic  entire 
western  coast  of  Norway  to  Xorili  Cajie  and  \'aranyer  l''jord  in  l'.a->t  I'in- 
niark,  while  Malmj^nvn  records  it  from  Itaren  Island,  and  ScorLsl>y  t'roni 
Sjiitzbergen,  in  latituile  So°.  In  Iceland  it  is  abundant,  antl  in  1  >.i\  is" 
Straits,  at  least  as  far  north  as  Disco,  where  it  is  t'onnd  assoi  iated  with  the 
halibut,  and  is  said  to  constitute  a  liberal  share  of  its  I'ocul.  In  Eastern 
Labrador,  about  Newfoundland,  and  in  the  (iulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  it  is 
abunilant.  and  also  along  the  shores  of  Nova  Scotia  and  in  the  liax'  ot 
Fundy.  In  these  northern  regions  the  Rose-fi^h  jirt'ters  shallow  water, 
and  may  be  taken  in  the  greatest  abundance  in  the  bays  and  around  the 
wharves  in  company  with  the  sculjjins  ami  the  cunners  or  blue  jieri  h.  ( )n 
the  coast  of  the  United  States,  south  of  the  Bay  of  l-'undy,  they  are  rarely 
seen  near  the  shore,  but  have  been  found  in  deep  water  in  all  parts  of  the 
(iulf  of  Maine  and  Massachusetts  i'.ay,  and  also  abundantly  south  of  Cape 
Cod.  In  the  fall  of  1880  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  obtained 
great  (quantities  of  them,  young  and  old.  HeKay  included  this  fish  in  his 
New  York  list,  stating,  however,  that  it  was  very  rare  in  those  waters. 
He  remarks  that  '•  the  coast  of  New  \'ork  is  i)robably  its  extreme  southern 
litiiit." 

Of  late  years  none  have  been  taken  south  of  the  locality  already  men- 
tioned, which  was  in  water  from  one  to  three  luuulred  fathoms  in  depth, 
at  the  inner  edge  of  the  Culf  stream,  from  I'd'ty  to  (jni,'  hundred  miles 
southwest  of  Newport,  and  about  the  same  distance  east  of  Sandy  Hook. 
A  hundred  or  two  hundred  miles  farther  south  it  is  replaced  by  a  fish 
resembling  it  somewhat  in  form  and  color,  Scorpicna  dactyloptcra,  I  )e  la 
Roche,  discovered  by  the  Fish  Commission  during  the  past  year,  anil  by 
Scorpivna  Stcanisi,  detected  at  Pensacola  by  Silas  Stearns,  and  at  Charles- 
ton by  C.  H.  C.ilbert. 

It  may  fairly  be  said  that  the  Rose-fish,  as  a  shore  species,  is  not  known 
south  of  parallel  42'^.  whi(  h  is  13°  south  of  its  transatlantic  limit.  \\'hen 
the  dcej)  waters  of  Southern  Kurojie  have  been  as  carefully  e.\])lored  as 
those  of  the  United  States,  it  is  probable  that  the  range  of  this  fish  will  be 
extended  considerably  further  to  the  south. 

The  temperature  range  of  the  Rose-tish  corres]ionds  cdosely  to  that  of 
the  halibut,  and  its  limits  will,  on  more  (  areful  study,  probably  be  found 
included  between  32°    ami  50°.      It   is  touiid  everywhere  on   the  shallow 


TJIE  ROSEl'lSH  AXn  ITS  Al.l.ll-S. 


-59 


off-shore  l)anks  north  of  C.iin.'  Cod.  whciv  it  attains  it>  j;riatt.>t  ^^i/^..  A 
s|iL'(  inicn,  liroUL,'lit  in  hy  oik'  of  tliC  (Ihmt  rsttr  halihtit  si  hoomrs,  was 
about  two  fcL't  in  IciiLith  and  wcii^lii'd  ahout  foiirtri'ii  iioinuU.  .\h)ni;  tlu 
Maine  (\)a.st  they  are  nine  li  smaller  than  this,  rarely  exieedin-  ei_-ht  or  ten 
ineiies  and  the  weii^ht  of  twehe  ounces,  thouuh  occ  asionalh'  j,M-owinL;  to 
the  weight  of  one  and  a  half  pounds. 

In  Scandinavia  there  ha\e  hten  recognized  two  spec  ies  :  one.  a  large, 
orange-colored  form,  inhabiting  ilee]>  water,  known  to  the  Norwegi.ms  as 
the  '•  Ked-t"ish  "  (R(ed-ri>k).  and  considered  to  be  V.  iihjriu/is  (.V.  //,'/;,',•- 
^^/t'f/s)  ;  the  other,  a  smaller  species  of  nun  h  deeper  < olor.  (  alK'd  the 
"Lysanger,"  and  des-ribed  by  Kroyer  under  the  name  ".V.  I'iri/'iviis." 
and  by  Mkstrcim  as  "  .V.  yv,;'7c///.\-. "  Ai'ter  the  mo>t  careful  stud\  of  all  tiie 
s])ecimens  in  the  National  Museum,  we  lune  been  unable  to  recogni/e 
more  than  one  species  on  our  coast,  and  recent  Norwegi.m  i(  htin  cilo-i-^ls. 
anu)ng  them  especially  Mr.  Robert  C'ollett.  bi'lieve  that  the  two  Noiwcui.m 
forms  are  not  actually  distinct  species,  but  that  the  smaller  one  is  sim]il\- 
a  pigmy  race  which  is  esjiecially  adapted  to  li\e  in  the  huig.  shallow  fidrds 
of  that  legion.  Dr.  laitkeii.  alwa\s  conserN  ati\  e.  i;>  inclined  to  belie\e 
the  two  forms  distinct,  regarding  the  large  fish  of  the  dee]i  water  as  the 
jirimitive  type  from  which  the  smaller  littoral  form  ha>  been  deri\ed  b\- 
tlevelopment.  According  to  the  last  mentioned  authoritv.  the  two  forms 
ha\  e  very  dilTerent  geographical  distribution.  .V.  riri/'iij-ns  inh;diiting  the 
shallows  in  the  \icinity  of  the  Faroe  Islands.  Southern  Sweden.  Norwaw 
and  New  I'jigland,  but  unknown  to  Cireat  liritain.  Denmark.  I'inmark. 
Iceland,  and  Cireenland  ;  while  S.  marimis  is  found  in  (Ireenland  and 
Iceland  and  all  the  length  of  the  Norwegian  coast,  in  Spit/bergen.  liaren 
Island,  on  the  coasts  of  Denmark,  and  occasionally  in  the  north  of 
England  and  Ireland.  Possibly,  he  suggests,  it  inhabits  the  deep  waters 
at  a  distance  from  shore,  off  the  Faroe  Islands  and  North  Americ  a.  but 
that  IS  not  yet  certainly  known.  .V.  riiipanis,  then,  he  dec  hires.  i>  a 
form  less  arctic  as  well  as  more  littoral. 

This  subject  is  here  reterred  to  in  the  hope  that  additional  obser\ations 
may  be  drawn  out  tending  to  settle  the  ipiestion  whether  or  not  there 
are  two  forms  of  Srbastcs  on  the  American  coast.  It  seems,  howexer. 
improbable,  since  the  physic  al  conditions  are  so  different  from  tho^e  under 
which  they  occiu"  t)n  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  food  of  the  Rose-fish  consists,  like  that  of  its  cousins,  the  >(  tilpins, 


S 


1   I 


I  i 


26o 


AMERICAN  FISJIES. 


of  small  fish,  cnista(  cans,  and,  to  some  extent,  of  uu)lliisks,  aUhoii.uh  its 
teeth  an;  formed  for  crushing  the  thick-shelled  species.  In  (Ireenland  tliey 
are  said  to  feed  upon  the  pole-lloiinder.  A  specimen  taken  off  llastern 
Point,  (iloiicester,  in  July,  iSyS,  had  its  throat  full  of  shrimp-like  crusta- 
ceans {^Mysis,  sp.),  and  others,  taken  at  l'^ast])ort,  were  feeding  extensively 
on  a  larger  crustacean  {'J'/iysaiiopoi/a,  sp.),  wiiich  is  also  a  favorite  food  of 
the  ma<kerel.  They  may  Ijc  caught  with  almost  any  kind  of  bait,  but  are 
not,  like  their  associates,  the  cunners,  given  to  feeding  upon  refuse 
substances,  and,  being  also  more  shy  and  watchful,  cannot  be  captured  in 
bag-nets.  They  breed  in  summer,  from  June  to  September,  in  deep  holes 
in  Massachusetts  Ikiy  and  off  the  coast  of  Southern  New  ICngland.  where 
it  has  not  been  imcommon  for  the  Fish  Commission  to  obtain  thousands  of 
young  ones,  two  and  three  inches  long,  at  one  set  of  the  trawl-net,  and 
also  adults  full  of  spawn.  The  young  are  lighter  in  color  than  tlie  adults, 
and  are  conspicuously  banded  with  reddish-brown  upon  a  grayish  ground. 
The  young  constitute  a  favorite  food  of  the  codfish,  while,  at  all  ages,  thev 
are  preyed  ujjon  by  the  luilihut  and  other  large  predaceous  fishes  of  the 
cold-water  districts. 

Although  the  Rose-fish  is  much  esteemed  as  an  article  of  food,  and  is 
caught- in  considerable  numbers  all  along  the  coast  of  Maine  and  the 
British  Provinces  in  the  season  when  it  fretjuents  the  shallows  near  tlie 
shore,  and  in  winter  at  (iloucester  when  flocking  in  large  niuiibers  into  the 
harbor,  the  most  extensive  fisheries  are  probably  on  the  coast  of  Green- 
land, where  they  are  highly  prized  by  the  natives,  who  feed  on  the  fiesh 
and  use  the  spines  of  fins  for  needles,  and  in  Massachusetts  Pay,  vvdiere 
great  (piantities  are  taken  by  the  Irish  market-fishermen  on  trawling-lines. 
In  winter  they  are  occasionally  found  in  the  New  York  markets,  and  on 
one  or  two  occasions  have  l)een  brought  in  considerable  numbers  to  New 
Haven,  and  even  to  Philadelphia.  The  flesh  is  firm,  rich,  and  delicate  in 
flavor  ;  tlie  young  fish,  fried  crisp,  make  an  excellent  substitute  for  white- 
bait. 

The  naturalists  on  the  "Albatross"  sometimes  have  a  famous  dish  of 
this  sort  set  before  them,  when  the  trawl  net  has  brought  up  bushels  of 
the  young  Rose-fish  from  the  ocean  depths. 

The  writer  once  hatl  the  i)leasure  of  testing  the  flavc  of  this  species 
under  peculiarly  favorable  circumstances.  It  was  during  the  Fisheries 
Exhibition  of  1S83,  and  the  occasion  was  thus  described  at  the  time  in  the 
London  "  Times." 


/•///■;  JU)S/:-J'7S/f  AM)  /TS  ALLIES. 


z(n 


'•  ( )n 'I'htirstlay,  May  17.  tlic  I'riiicc  of  Wales  t-ntcrlaiiuil  the  I'm- (.ml;  11 
and  v'dlonial  C'niniiiissidiKrs  at  liiiu  lieoii  in  the  Royal  l'a\  ilion.  X'/nZ/rs 
of  trout  aiitl  eels,  L'ilfts  tic  Soles  a  /ti  .\'(>iimiih/i\  .]fii//<fs  Jl,ii/'i's  </  At 
(f'r//(>/si\  S(  ()t(  h  Salmon.  ;;rille(l  Severn  troiit,  eels  iVied  in  the  inanmr 
(lesi^nated  as  a  /'  /r/iiih/iiisr.  wwX  White  l)ait  constituted  the  IinIi  depart 
nuiit.  as  set  down  in  print,  hut  the  i^reatest  sik  <  ess  was  a  well  prepared 
impromptu,  not  on  the  (  ard.  it  so  happened  that  in  the  fi^li  marki't  was 
a  <  iinsi^nnient  from  lluU.  of  the  Norwegian  '  l'er_Lj\  It,'  little  known  in 
London,  but  (|ui<  kly  identilied  by  the  I'larl  of  1  )u(  ie.  a  leading  atithoritv 
on  the  subject  of  Norway  lishing.  ]>eing  a  rather  dry  lish,  though  the 
llakiness  and  the  tlav'or  arc  not  unworthy  of  (omparison  with  the  re<l 
mullet,  it  was  judged  expedient  by  the  f/n/ [n  deal  with  the  bergvlt.  as  a 
Cdmineiital  artist  might  d.eal  by  the  |»ike.  So  after  being  marinaded  for 
three  hours,  with  tine  oil.  this  Norwegian  llsh  was  expertly  treaieil  with 
yolk  of  eggs  and  cream,  fried  in  a  light  batter,  and  served  at  tiie  moment 
of  perfection.      It  remains  to  be  said  that  nothing  of  the  lish  was  let't." 

( )n  the  Pacific  coast,  as  has  already  been  staled,  the  fishes  of  this  family, 
known  as  Kock-cod  and  Ko(  kllsh,  are  of  great  importance,  and  many  of 
them  are  illustrated  in  the  ••The  Food  Fishes  and  Fishery  Industries  of 
the  Tnited  States."  l''or  accurate  identification  it  is  ne<  essary  to  resort 
to  Jordan's  '•  Synopsis."  'I'hey  have  been  discussed  brietly  by  I'resideiit 
Jordan,  who  writes  as  follows; 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  California  fish  fauna  is  the 
enormous  abundant  e  both  in  individuals  and  in  sjiecies  of  the  grou])  of 
(Orpivnidix:.  All  of  them  are  excellent  footl-fishes,  and  s(  arcely  a  boat 
returns  froiii  any  kind  of  fishing  in  vvhii  h  these  fishes  do  not  form  a  con- 
spicuous part  of  the  catch.  In  every  fish  market  they  are  fi)und.  and  tVoir 
their  large  size  and  brilliant  coloration  they  are  everywhere  the  most 
conspicuous  fishes  on  the  stalls. 

These  fishes  have  so  many  traits  in  common,  that  a  review  of  the  group 
as  a  whole  is  desirable  before  we  proceed  to  the  consideration  of  the  several 
species. 

These  fishes  are  universally  known  by  the  names  of  Rockfish  and  Ro(  k- 
cod.  The  latter  name  is  the  one  most  commonly  heard,  the  other  name 
being  apparently  a  reaction  against  the  obvious  error  of  calling  these  fish 
*'  Cod."  The  name  Rockfish  is  an  appropriate  one.  and  in  time  it  will 
probably  supplant  that  of  Rock-cod.  The  name  Cod  or  Codfish  is  never 
applied  to  them  without  the  accompanying  "Rock."  In  the  southern 
part  of  California,  the  name   "(kirrupa"   or  "Grouper"   is   in  common 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


U  121    115 

^  m 


112 

u 


140 


1^ 


11.25  llill.4   11.6 

11^5      1111^5     lllll^ 

^ 

6"     

► 

Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  USSO 

(716)  872-4S03 


^V^^ 
V 


4^ 


26; 


AMERICAN  FISlfES. 


ill 


use,  cs])e(ially  for  the  olivaceous  species.  'I'liis  is  a  Portuguese  word,  and 
belonged  originally  to  the  sjiecies  of  E/fiiirp/it'/iis  and  related  genera. 
Different  species  have  also  spe<  ial  names,  mostly  given  liy  the  Portuguese 
fishermen.      'J'hese  are  noticed  below. 

'I'he  average  si/e  of  the  s])ecies  of  the  group  is  about  fifteen  inches  in 
length,  and  a  weight  of  two  or  three  pounds.  Some  of  them  reac  h  a 
length  of  nearly  three  feet,  and  a  weight  of  twelve  pounds.  Nothing  is 
known  of  their  rate  of  growth. 

The  greatest  abundance  both  of  individuals  and  of  species  in  this  group 
is  to  be  found  from  Santa  Barbara  to  San  Francisco,  the  maximum  about 
Monterey.  They  occur  from  C'erros  Island,  where  they  are  rather  scarce, 
at  le;ust  as  far  as  K.odiak,  and  other  species  similar  are  found  on  the  coasts 
of  Ja|)an  and  Chili.  The  individuals  are  extremely  local.  Most  of  the 
species  are  found  about  rocky  reefs,  often  in  considerable  depths,  and  they 
probably  stray  but  little  from  their  abodes.  In  general,  the  red  spec  ies 
inhabit  greater  depths  than  the  brown  or  green  ones,  and  the  latter  swim 
about  more  freely.  Their  abundance  on  certain  reefs  about  Monterey  and 
the  Farallones  is  doubtless  being  diminished  ;  elsewhere  there  has  been 
little  ilanger  of  over-fishing.  All  are  predatory  and  voracious,  feeding 
mainly  upon  other  fishes,  and  sometimes  on  crustaceans. 

All  of  the  species  are  ovo-viviparous.  The  eggs  are  small  and  exceed- 
ingly numerous,  and  are  hatched  within  the  body.  The  eggs  themselves 
are  bright  yellow.  In  the  spring,  at  a  season  varying  with  the  latitude, 
and  perhaps  with  different  si)ecies,  these  yellow  eggs  turn  to  a  grayish 
color.  If  then  examined,  the  two  eyes  of  the  young  fish  can  be  distinctly 
seen.  Later  a  slender  body  appears,  with  traces  of  vertical  fins,  the  length 
then  being  about  one-fourth  to  one-third  of  an  inch.  They  are  jjrobably 
extruiled  at  about  the  length  of  one-third  of  an  inch,  and  in  a  very  slender 
and  pellucitl  condition,  as  I  have  never  seen  them  in  any  more  advanced 
stage  of  development.  Nothing  is  known  of  the  modes  of  copulation,  nor 
of  the  circumstances  under  which  the  young  are  excluded,  but  the  time  of 
breeding  is  probably  for  the  most  part  in  May.  Young  fishes  of  one  and 
a  half  to  two  inches  are  common  in  August,  and  in  the  fall  they  are  large 
enough  {S.  paiicispinis,  JhivUus)  to  be  taken  with  hook  and  line  from  the 
wharves.  Individuals  of  less  than  six  or  eight  inches  are  rare  in  the  spring, 
and  the  fish  of  that  length  are  ])robably  a  year  old. 

The  enemies  of  these  fishes  are  of  course  their  predatory  neighbors,  and 


•  P 


THE  ROSE-l'ISir  A.\n  ITS  ALL  U.S. 


'■^h 


the  lar,i,'cr  inili\itlual>  prey  uiioii  the  >nuillcr.  '\'\\v  ha,i;-l'iNli  [Polisfrohi  iiur) 
(le^troys  ((jn^idcrahlc  mimlicr^.  I'hcy  arc  iMially  xcry  tree  t'roiu  iineriial 
l)arasites. 

All  the  ineinbers  dl' tliis  family  rank  luLjh  as  fooil-llshes.  'I'hc  tle^h  is 
t'lrin  and  white,  and.  altiidui^h  nut  \er\-  deliiatc.  is  of  a  fair  (piality.  That 
oi  S(-(>rffiCiia  ,\;ufttthi  is  prohahly  I»e^t  :  that  ui  Si'/>tjsfii/itliys  iii\sfi;iiis\)y\\vj^<. 
the  lowest  price  in  market,  but  iIk'  prejudice  against  the  latter  spet  ies 
l)erhaps  rests  on  its  tolor. 

The  S(()rpene,  Si-or/<(Ciia  ■^nffiifii,  is  known  also  by  the  names 
•'Scorpiim"  and  *•  S(  iilpin."  -'Scorpene"  (Scolpina),  in  ( (immon  unc 
among  tiie  Italian  fishermen,  is  of  course  the  name  of  .S'lvv/r, //i/ /•^viv/y.  .S". 
scro/ti,  and  other  Mediterranean  fishes,  transferred  to  this  very  similar 
North  American  tlsh.  The  wouml  made  by  the  dorvil  spines  of  tiii^  fiMh  is 
c.\cessi\ely  [lainful,  far  more  so  than  the  sting  of  a  bee,  as  though  the 
spines  had  some  venomous  se<  retion.  The  name  Sritr/'fiiti  is  evidently 
derived  t'rom  this.  This  spe(  ies  reaches  a  length  of  something  o\er  a  foot 
and  a  weight  t)f  about  two  pounds.  It  is  t'ound  only  frt)in  Point  (,'on(  ep- 
tion  southward  to  A^<  ension  Inland,  li\  ing  about  rocks  and  kelp,  but  ot'ten 
entering  the  bays.  It  is  generally  common,  and  takes  the  hook  freely. 
It  feeds  upon  crustacea  and  small  llshes,  and  sjiawns  m  spring.  Nothing 
distinctive  is  known  of  its  breeding  habits.  Asa  t'ood-fish  it  ranks  with 
the  best,  being  superior  to  the  species  oi  Sti>astic/i(/iys,  ami  it  always  is  in 
gt)od  deUiand  where  known. 

The  Blackd)anded  Kocktl>h,  St-Z'tisfit/if/iys  mix'roiiiicfits,  has,  so  far  as  wc 
know,  received  no  distint  tive  name  from  the  fishermen.  It  reaches  a 
weight  of  about  four  pounds  and  a  length  of  eighteen  to  twenty  inches. 
It  ranges  from  Monterey  northward,  being  found  only  in  deej)  water  (ten 
to  twenty  fathoms).  About  San  Francisco  it  is  exceedingly  rare,  not  half 
a  dozen  usually  coming  into  the  market  in  a  year.  In  the  Straits  of  Imh  a 
and  outside  in  the  open  ocean  it  is  tolerably  abundant.  'I'he  food  and 
the  breeding  habits,  as  far  as  known,  differ  little  in  this  family,  and  the 
general  remarks  on  the  group  api)ly  to  all  the  species  of  St'l>(istic/it/iys. 
As  a  food-fish  this  species  sells  readily  on  account  of  its  brilliant  and  at- 
tractive colors,  second  only  in  brilliancy  to  those  of  the  "  Spanish  Flag." 

St-/>its/ic/i//iys  srrn'it'ps,  wherever  this  species  receives  a  distinctive 
name,  is  ki^.own  as  the  "Tree-fish,"  an  appellation  originating 
with    the    Portuguese    at    Monterey,    and   without    obvious    application. 


i 


I; 


264 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Southward  it  is  confoiiiKiL-il  with  other  s]ic(  ics  as  a  (larrupa.  Its  si/c  is 
rather  less  than  tliat  of  S.  )ii\^roi-iin-tiis.  \\lii(  h  it  nuu  h  resembles.  It 
ranges  from  San  Martin  Island  to  San  I'ranc  isco  beinj,'  foinid  in  rather 
deep  water  among  roc  ks.  It  is  most  common  about  the  Santa  Uarbara 
Islands,  and  is  rare  in  the  markets  of  San  Fran(  isco.  It  is  a  handsomely 
colored  species,  and  therefore  sells  well  in  the  markets. 


TIIK  TltKK  KISII. 


The  Speckled  Garruta,  Sr/>asfi(-/ifJiys  iichi/osiis,  is  known  as  "  Garrupa  " 
and  "Rock-cod,"  rarely  receiving  any  distinctive  name.  It  reaches  a 
weight  of  three  and  one-half  ])ounds.  It  ranges  from  Monterey  to  Piiget 
Sound,  being  generally  common  at  all  points,  and  most  abundant  north- 
ward. It  lives  in  water  of  moderate  dei)th.  It  ft)rms  about  two  percent, 
of  the  total  rockfish  catch,  anil  is  always  readily  salal)le.  It  is  the  most 
attractive  in  color  of  any  of  the  tlark-colored  species. 

The  Black  and  Yellow  Garrui)a.  Scinistii/if/iys  chry some/as,  is  also  con- 
founded imder  the  names  "  Garrui)a  "  and  "  Codfish."  It  is  one  of  the 
smaller  species,  reaching  a  weight  of  about  two  pounds.  It  ranges  from 
San  Nicolas  Island  to  San  Francisco,  and  is  generally  common  in  water  of 
moderate  depth,  although  not  one  of  the  most  abundant  species.  It  is  an 
attractive  fish  in  color  and  therefore  readily  salable. 

The  Flesh-colored  Garrujia,  Sii>asficlif/iys  cannitiis,  reaches  a  somewhat 
larger  size  than  the  last,  and  ranges  from  Santa  Barbara  to  San  Francisco. 
About  San  Francisco  it  is  considerably  more  abundant,  forming  nearly 
seven  per  cent,  of  the  total  rockfish  catch. 


'I'lu-  \'(.'ll(i\\-l);i(  kt'il  Ri)(  kfish.  S,/'trs//r/'////y.\-  nitr/i:;rr.  sciins  to  liavu  no 
(li>tin(  t  naiiK'  in  (omnKiii  ii>c.  It  i;uil;i.-s  tVdiii  MuntciTv  to  I'nui't  Soiir.d. 
in  rather  (IcL'ii  w.itcr.  It  i>  not  \u\\  (oinnion  almut  San  I'raiK  i^( o.  Imt 
inan\-  arc  caiiiiht  in  the  Straits  of"  I'li:  a.  It  i>  one  of  the  larL;e>t  of'  the 
spec  ies.  rea*  hin:4  a  wei.yht  of"  six  or  eight  ikhiikIs.  As  a  luod-t'isli  it  is  not 
so  ;;oo(l  as  some  of  the  others. 

The  \Wi\  (larrupa.  Sr/utsf/\-h/Ii\s  cauriinn  and  siili-siiei  ies  :i\i//in-is,  is 
knouii  as  "(iarru|ia."'  ••  l\o(  kl'i^h"  ami  ••  l<o(  k-( od."  It  rtMc  hes  a 
U'n^ili  of"  t went V  iiK  lies  and  a  weight  of' six  |ioiinds.  it  ranges  iVoni  San 
Ni( olas  to  Pnget  Sound,  being  generally  ( oininon  in  water  of"  moderate 
de]ith.  It  is  sulijec  t  to  greater  variations  than  anv  other  spei  ies  in  the 
different  parts  of  its  range.  It  forms  ahoiit  seven  ]'er  eeut.  of  the  total 
ro(  k-cod  cat<  h.      Its  llesh  ranks  as  about  average. 

'riieCirass  Koc  kl"i>h.  St/uis/ii-Ji/Iiys  ri7s/r(///x</-.  like  all  those  of  dusky 
color,  is  known  as  ••darrupa."  At  San  I'ranc  is(  o  it  is  often  called 
"(irass  Kockt'ish."  perhaps  from  its  color.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  two  to 
four  I'omids.  It  lives  in  water  of  moderate  depth,  and  is  rather  common 
evervwhete  tVom  San  Nicolas  to  Humboldt  liay.  Its  abimdanc  e  is  greatest 
south  of  I'oint  Conception.  It  is  said  to  be  the  best  of  all  the  Roc  kfish 
for  the  table,  ancl  to  be  an  es]iec  ial  favorite  with  the  jews. 

The  ]»rown  Roc  kfish.  Sr/>t7s//V/i///ys  aiiriiiilaiiis,  seldom  rec  eives  a  dis- 
tinc  ti\e  name  from  the  fishermen.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  three  cu-  four 
jioimds,  although,  as  usually  seen  in  the  markets,  it  is  smaller  than  any 
other  of  the  species.  This  is  owing  to  the  fait  that  its  yoimg  are  caught 
in  seines  in  the  bav.  while  those  of  other  species  are  less  frecpiently  taken, 
and  then  onlv  in  the  open  ocean.  It  ranges  from  San  Martin  Island  to 
Puuet  Soimd.  living  in  shallow  water  and  entering  all  the  bays,  ancl  being 
taken  with  a  hook  f'rom  all  the  wharves.  It  is  thus  ajiparently  more 
abundant  than  any  other  species,  although  in  ac  tual  numbers  probably 
many  of  the  deep-water  forms  {S.  jhtriiiiis,  f>iiitn\i^fr,  losiufiis)  far  exceed 
it.      As  a  food-fish  it  is  held  in  lower  esteem  than  most  of  the  others. 

The  lVsce-\'ermiglia.  S(/u!s//\-/i///vi  i/i/orosfiitiix.  is  called  ••  IVsc  e- 
Vermiglia."  or  "Vermilion-fish."  by  the  Portuguese  fishermen  at  Monte- 
rev.  It  is  known  only  fVom  Monterey  Pay  and  the  Parallones.  oc  c  urring 
about  the  rocks  in  considerable  depths  of  water  and  being  taken  only  with 
the  hook.  In  its  native  hatnits  it  is  not  a  rare  species.  It  reaches  a  weight 
of  three  or  tour  iioimds.  and  is  excellent  food. 


( 


266 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


i 


ill 
ill 


Tlic  iiK'.vplicahk'  name  of  ••  I-'ly-fish  "  is  i,Mvt.'ii  to  one  spec  ies.  Sii>tis/i\/i- 
th\s  iluuiochloris.  \\\  tlic  fisliLTnien  at  Monterey.  Like  the  preceding,  it  is 
known  only  from  \ery  deep  water  about  Monterey  and  tiie  l-'arallones.  It 
is  one  of  tlie  smallest  species,  rarely  \vei;,diinj;  more  tiian  a  pound. 

The  ("orsair,  Srhasticlitliys  rosaccus,  is  known  to  the  Portuguese  fisher- 
men at  Monterey  liy  the  name  "Corsair."  a  name  of  uncertain  apjilication 
transplanted  from  the  A/ores.  It  is  one  of  the  smallest  species,  rarely 
weigiung  more  than  a  pound  and  a  half.  It  ranges  from  Santa  llarliara 
to  San  I'raiK  isco.  in  deep  water,  and  where  found,  it  is  the  most  abund- 
ant of  the  red  spet  ies.  When  the  weather  permits  t)Utside  fishing  with 
trawl-lines  this  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  species  in  the  San  Francisco 
markets.      It  ranks  high  as  a  t'ood-fish. 

The  Spotted  C\)rsair.  Sclnistichthys  coiistcllatiis,  in  si/e,  distribution, 
habits  and  value  agrees  with  the  '•  Corsair."  It  is.  howe\er.  lonsider- 
ablv  less  abundant,  although  not  a  rare  fish  in  the  markets  of  San 
Fran<  isco. 

Two  s]ie(  imens  oidy  of  the  Yellow  Rockfish,  SebastiiliiJtys  uiiibrosiis.  are 
known,  both  of  which  are  from  Santa  Barbara. 

At  Monterey,  the  Spanish-I-'lag,  ScbasticlitJiys  nibriciuitiis,  is  known  by 
the  very  appropriate  name  of  *' Sjjanish  Flag,"  from  its  broatl  bands  of 
red,  white,  and  red.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  about  six  i)oimds.  It  is  found 
in  very  deep  water  on  rocky  reefs  about  Santa  Barbara  and  Monterey.  It 
is  perhaps  the  least  common  in  the  markets  of  all  the  species,  except  >V.  itni- 
Itosiis.      In  coloration  it  is  the  most  brilliant  fish  on  the  coast. 

The  Red  Rockfish,  Schastichtliys  rii/ur,  is  usually  the  "  Red  Rockfish  " 
/>iir  (\yi(//iiiii\  At  Monterey  it  e\idently  attains  a  weight  of  twehe  or 
more  poimils,  and  is  called  by  the  I'ortuguese  "'iambor."  It  ranges 
from  Santa  Barbara  to  Puget  Sound,  its  abundance  increasing  to  the 
northward.  Jt  lives  in  water  of  consideral)le  depth.  In  the  markets  of 
San  Francisc  o  it  is  one  of  the  most  common  species.  Large  specimens 
about  ^'ictoria,  in  the  Straits  of  Fuca.  had  the  skull  above  the  brain 
infected  by  an  encysted  i)arasite  worm.  (Ireat  numbers  of  them  were 
seen  in  the  Straits  of  Fuca,  according  to  Mr.  Swan,  swinnning  stupidly 
near  the  surface,  so  torpid  that  the  Indians  killed  them  with  clubs. 
According  to  the  Indians,  they  hail  been  struck  by  the  Thunder-bird, 
which,  with  its  comi)anion,  the  Lightning-fish,  causes  many  of  the  phe- 
nomena in  that  region.  The  smaller  specimens  of  this  species  rank  well 
as  food-fishes  ;   the  larger  ones  are  likely  to  be  coarse  or  tou.idi. 


Tin-:  Rosi:-j'isi[,Axn  its  mj.ies. 


zu- 


S(-/'tisfi\-/if/iys  iniiiiiitns  is  known  to  tht'  rortiiL^Micsc  t'l^lHTint'ii  at  Moii- 
ttTt-'v  as  the  ••Rasher."  a  nanu'  of  iiiiccitain  origin  .iiid  otliograpliy. 
It  raii^is  tVoni  Santa  I>arl)ara  to  San  I'raiK  i^io.  liviiii;  in  water  ot" 
moderate  depth.  It  is  (oniparatixely  < onunon.  and  is  fre(|uentlv  set'n  in 
tlie  markets.  tli()iii,di  in  much  less  numbers  tlian  .S".  rubir  and  S.  pinni;^tr. 
In  si/e  and  tinality  it  aijrees  (  losely  witli  .S'.  /"iiiiiii^rr. 

I'lie  ( >rai\L;e  Kockl'ish,  Sr/his/ir/ifhys  /"iu/i/'xir,  is  usuallv  (  alleil  simpix 
"Red  R(j(  k-(  ()(1  "  or  '•  Red  Ro(  kl'isii."  and  not  distinguished  tVom  the 
two  preiedin^.  The  l'ortUL;uese  at  Monterey  know  it  liv  the  name 
*•  l-'iiaum."  a  word  of  imknown  orii^dn.  It  is  one  of  thi'  larnest  species, 
reac  iiing  a  weiL;ht  of  eight  or  ten  pounds.  It  r.mges  from  Monterey  to 
Puget  Sound,  being  generally  very  abundant  in  deeji  water,  where  it  is 
t.iken  on  trawl-lines,  'i'his  is  probabl\-  the  mo^t  abundant  of  tiie  larger 
species.  .\t  San  I'raiK  is(  o  individuals  are  ot'ten  toinid  with  bhu  k  <lis- 
colored  areas,  looking  like  inkddott  hes.  on  their  sides.  No  (  ause  for  this 
has  been  noticed,  and  if  it  be  a  disease  it  does  not  seem  to  discommode 
the  I'lsh.  In  the  market  this  species  grades  with  .V.  ni/<ci\  and  like  it,  is 
often  split  and  salted. 

The  (Ireen  (larrupa,  Sr/'tjstirlifhys  ii/iwrirr/is,  is  ( ommonlv  known  as 
••("larrupa"  and  "(ireen  Ro(  kfir^h."  being  rarelv  distinguished  tfom  S. 
nrs//-,///x''<r.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  about  three  pounds.  It  ranges  from 
San  I)iego  to  Monterey,  being  more  soiitiierly  in  its  dis;ribution  than  the 
other  species.  It  lives  in  ro(  ky  ])laies.  in  rather  shallow  water,  and  is 
generally  common,  especiall\-  south  of  Point  Conception.  It  is  considered 
excellent  food. 

St/i<is//(-/////ys  (/oiii^atiis  is  known  as  '*  Reina,"  or  the  (Jueen,  at 
Monterey.  It  is  a  small  fish,  reac  hing  a  weight  of  less  than  two  poumls, 
and  lives  in  deep  water  about  Monterey  and  the  Farallones.  It  is  never 
very  common  in  the  markets,  although  fre([uenlly  taken  in  considerable 
numbers. 

The  Red  Rockfish  of  Alaska.  Sr/mstic/if/iys  /^rorigrr,  in  habits,  agrees 
with  S.  (Ao/xii/i/s.  It  is  usually  still  smaller,  rarely  weighing  more  than  a 
l)Ound.  Its  range  extends  northward  to  the  Aleutian  Islands,  where  it 
reaches  a  large  size,  and  is  of  considerable  importance  as  a  food-fish. 

Sihasficlitliys  Otur/is  is  known  at  Monterey  as  "^"iuva"  or  the 
Widow  ;  the  reason  not  evident.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  three  or  Anir 
j)Oiinds.  It  is  found  from  Santa  Ilarbara  to  Monterey,  in  deep  watef,  and 
is  seldom  brouudit  to  market. 


>6S 


ami:k/c\l\'  /■/sj/£s. 


'  f 


U 


S,/>iis/ii-hfli\s  si///(t//ir/iis  is  very  similar  to  tiic  prct  filinj,'  in  si/c  and 
habits.  I'liiis  far  it  has  been  only  found  in  dcci>  water  outside  of  .Nb)nte- 
rey  May. 

St/iasfii/it/iys  mystiiiits,  is  most  generally  called  the  "  lihu  k  Rtx  k- 
fish."  but  in  Puget  Sound  is  known,  with  its  more  abundant  relatixe. 
Si/>its/i(-/if/iys  mclaiiops,  as  the  "  HUu  k  IJass."  'i"he  Portuguese  at  Montere\ 
(all  it  "  Pesce  Prctre,"  or  Priest-fish,  in  allusion  to  its  dark  (olors.  so 
different  from  those  of  most  of  the  other  mend)ers  of  the  family.  It 
reaches  a  weight  of  five  jiounds,  but  as  usually  seen  in  tlie  markets,  \aries 
from  two  to  three.  It  ranges  from  Santa  IJarbara  to  X'ancouver's  Inland, 
inhabiting  waters  of  mo<lerate  depths.  It  is  much  more  abundant  about 
Monterey  and  San  Francisco  than  either  northward  or  southward,  and 
large  numbers  are  taken  in  Tomales  ]>ay.  In  the  markets  of  San  l-'ran 
cisco  it  is  fi)und.  taking  the  year  through,  in  greater  munbers  than  any 
other  species.  It  sells  at  a  lower  price  than  the  others,  its  color  causing 
a  ])reju(Uce  against  it,  although  the  tjuality  of  the  fish  doubtless  differs 
little  from  that  of  the  rest. 

Specimens  of  the  Alaska  Plack  Rockfish,  Si-bastiihlh\s  ciliatiis,  from  the 
Islands  arc  in  the  National  Museum.  Nothing  distinctive  is  known  in 
regard  to  its  habits,  which  jjrobably  agree  with  those  of  .S'.  iiulanops. 

The  Spotted  IMack  Rockfish,  Si'l'asticJithys  uiclanops,  is  founded  with  S. 
inystiniis  by  the  fisherivicn,  imder  the  name  of  '•  Hlack  llass  "  in  Puget 
Soimd,  '*  IJlack  Rockfish"  in  San  l-'rancisco,  and  "  Pes(  e  Pretre  "  at 
Monterey.  In  si/e  and  value  it  agrees  with  .V.  mstiiiiis.  Its  range  is 
more  northerly,  from  Monterey  to  Puget  Sound,  being  not  very  ccMnmon 
at  San  Francisco,  and  one  of  the  most  abundant  sjiecics  in  Puget  Sound. 

The  Yellow-Tail  Rockfish,  Sfinistii'/itliys  Jlaridus,  is  occasionally  called 
the  "(Ireen  Rockfish"  or  "Rock-cod"  at  San  Francisco.  At  Monterey 
it  is  always  known  by  the  api)ropriate  name  of  "Yellow-tail."  the  (  audal 
fin  being  always  distinctively  yellow.  To  distinguish  it  from  the  Yellow- 
tail  of  further  south  we  may  call  it  the  Yellow-tail  Rockfish.  This  spec  ies 
reaches  a  weight  of  six  and  seven  ])Oun(ls,  but  its  usual  weight  is  about 
two.  It  ranges  from  Santa  Catalina  Island  to  Ca])e  Menilocino,  and  is 
taken  both  in  deep  water  and  near  shore.  About  Monterey  and  San 
Francisco  it  is  very  abundant,  and  is  one  of  the  principal  species  in  the 
markets.      As  a  food-fish  it  is  considered  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  group. 

About  Monterey  and  San  F>ancisco,  the  Boccacio,  Siinistotics patu-ispim's , 


TlfE   ROSE-1'ISIf.   AXn  ITS  Al.I.ll.S. 


2(h) 


i>>  known  as  *•  lioccatio"  or  ••  I'xk  <  .u  "  [/wiui/ili)  to  iIk'  Italians,  and  as 
••  MOrou  "  (iiiit)i>(>)  to  the  I'oitu.LjuiM.'.  AnuTic  an  ri^lKrini.n  u-m'  tlir  name 
"jack,"  anil  tlio^e  who  t'i>h  tor  tlir  youn^  iVom  thr  uharws  <  all  tluin 
••  Toni-t  o(l."  'I'Ik'  name  ••  I'.oi  (  ario  "  (liin-montluil)  is  very  aji]  ro- 
jiriate  ;  ■•Merou"  is  transicrred  tVom  Atlantic  sjicc  ies  ol"  /•'/>///(/•//, 7// .v  ; 
••  Ja(  k  "  (omcs  t'roni  the  siP(.'(  ic's  ot"  A.w'.v  anil  S//:i>s/ii///////,  whi(  h  in  the 
Southern  States  are  <  alK'il  liy  that  name.  This  species  is  one  oi"  the  lariiest 
ot"the  j,'roMii,  rea(  hiiiLj  the  weiuht  of  twelve  to  fit'tein  iioiiiitls.  ltsa\era,L;e 
si/e  in  the  markets  is  gieater  than  that  ot"  any  of  the  others.  it  ranj.;es 
tVom  the  Santa  llarbara  Islamls  to  Cape  Memhx  ino.  It  inhaliils  reel's  in 
deep  water,  only  the  young  coming  near  the  >hore.  It  is  ratlur  more 
ahimdant  southward  than  about  ^■an  I'rani  isco.  It  is,  howewr,  a  lommon 
market-hsh,  and  its  tlesh  is  considered  excellent.  It  is  probaMy  the  most 
voracious  of  the  taniily. 

l''i\e  species  of  the  genus  .SV/'(/.»7/V/////f.f.  namely,  S.  ///lAr/zi'/'s,  S,  iiiiiriiii/s, 
S.  ///(j/i^rr,  A".  prorii;ti\  and  .V.  ti7i\i/iis,  attain  to  large  si/e  and  consider- 
al>le  commercial  importance  in  Alaska,  and  are  discussed  by  I  )r.  llean  in 
his  paper  on  the  •'  Shore  fisheries  of  Alaska  "  in  another  se<  tion  of  this 
work.      S.  mcliinops  is  called  '•  151  ack  liass"  at  Sitka. 

The  Kock  Trouts,  Chirii/u',  a  family  offish  of  considerable  importance 
on  our  I'ac  il'ic  coast, is  that  of  the  Chiriilw,  or  Rock  Trouts,  no  representa- 
tives of  which  are  kni)wn  in  the  Atlantic.  One  or  two  species  of  the 
("aniily  occur  in  the  sea  of  Japan. 

The  IJoregata,  /ftwa^^raiiiiniis  S/r//rr/,  is  known  in  I'uget  Sound  by  the 
Italian  name  of  "  Uoregata  "  or  "  Uoregat."  The  name  "Starling"  is 
applied  to  some  fish,  supposed  by  us  to  be  this  sj)ecies,  in  the  Straits  of 
Kuca.  It  reaches  a  length  of  fifteen  inches  and  a  weight  of  three  pouncls. 
It  ranges  from  I'uget  Sound  to  Kaintc  hatka.  In  Puuet  Sound  it  is  com- 
parati\ely  abundant,  living  about  rocks.  It  sjjawns  in  July.  It  feeds  on 
cTustaceans,  worms,  and  fishes,  and  apparently  gets  its  food  on  the  bottom 
in  deep  water,  as  the  animals  taken  from  its  stomach  are  often  of  a  kinci 
not  seen  near  shore.  Its  intestines  are  very  often  full  of  long  tiunioid 
worms,  supposed  to  be  parasitic-.  As  a  food-fish,  it  ranks  with  the  other 
Rock-trout,  being  of  fair  cpiality,  but  inferior  to  Op^iioi/on  aw\  Sc/>iis(it/i//iys. 

The  name  "  Boregata,"  is  applied  to  the  (ireen  Rock  Trout,  Jfrxti- 
i^rdini/iiis  ihitii:;riiiiiiiiiis,  by  the  Italians  on  I'uget  Sound.  The  name 
"  Rock  Coil  "  is  also  ifiven   to  it.      From   San    Francisco  southward,    the 


3i 


, 


2',o  .i.]//:a'/c.lv  /•/.S///..V. 

nanus  ••  Rnrk  'I'luut  "  .iiul  '-Sim  'rnuit  "  .iii' <  oiiiinnii.  The  I'mtiii^iu'sc 
at  Miint(.rt.'\  1  all  it  •■  r.iulii  luii."  It  iwh  lii's  a  Ifiiytli  nf  litui'ii  iiu  lus 
ami  a  wci.Liht  ottwo  nr  thii-o  ihhiikU.  It  raiiLri'>  from  Sai)  l.ui^  (  »liis|iu  to 
Alaska.  iii<l  i^  iuik  h  iiinri'  miu'ially  <  (umiioii  than  am  nt"  the  dilu  r  >>|n.(  iis. 
ami  lai'm-  nuiiilurs  aii.'  liruu^'ht  into  tlir  iiiarki't  iit"Saii  I'ram  Jm  o.  It  livi's 
in  iiK  k\'  lilac  is  nt'  tin  y.n\\l  (li'|ith.  It  l"i'i'<U  \  uiai  iuiish  nii  <  nista<  cui^  ami 
wdiins.  It  spawns  in  July.  It  diis  at  nnti'  on  liiinu  takiii  fioin  tin- 
water,  ami  tla-  tUsh  lit.'(  oini's  ri^iil  ami  docs  not  kirp  as  will  as  that  ol 
tlu'  ro(  k-t'ish.  It  is  a  foodl'ish  of  fair  (iiiality,  but  not  of  inu'.  The  sexes 
arc  \ery  unlike  in  ( olor.  ami  have  been  taken  for  distini  t  sjiec  ies. 


,y^^^t-*^^^ 


Tin:  cn.Tis  coi). 

'The  ("iiltus  Cod.  O/^/iioJiOi  ,-/<>ni,'-ir///s.  is  universally  (alk'd    •■  Cod -fi^h." 

where  the  trtie  (<id  is  unknown.      About  I'li.yet  Sound   the    Ij\uli>>h   tall   it 

'•  T.iiiL;."      Anionj:  the   Americans   the  word    "(dd"    is   nsrd   with  some 

distinctixe  adjective,  as  Cultus   Cod    (•'cultus"    in   the   Chinook    jarj^dii. 

meaning    of  little  t^'ort/i).    "  I'astard   Cod."    ••  I'.utlalo   Cod."    rtc  .       The 
„...,,..  ..  in.,.,  ^".wi  "  ;..  .,1.,.  ,.; .  ,  :»   r i.  i    ..      .-   •.      .1     1         -i.i 


m  the  sweep-nets  ot  the  jiaranzelle.  These  weii;h  less  than  a  pound  ;  the 
average  of  the  larL^e  ones  is  from  six  to  ten  ])Otuids.  It  ranges  from  .*^anta 
I'arbara  to  Alaska,  being  \ery  abundant  everywhere  north  of  Point  Con- 
ception.  It  lives  about  rocky  iilaccs,  and  sometimes  in  considerable 
depths,  and  spawns  in  summer.  It  feeds  upon  fishes  and  crustat  ea  and  is 
cxccssivel\-  Noracioiis.      It  often  swallows  a  red  rocktlsh  when  the  latter  is 


I  III'.  Kosi-Fisii  .\.\n  IIS  .U.I.I  i:s. 


-'TI 


(111  ihi  hunk,  and  !•>  tliii->  takv'ii.  Like  utlur  l.iiiic  ri>lu's.  it  i>  Milijii  I  to 
tlu-  alta(  ks  uf  tlii'  lia^  lisli  ( /'('//V/z-iV/vwiii).  As  a  ludd  ri>>h  it  licilds  a  lii^li 
rank,  being  <  onsidni'd  r.itluT  sii|piTi(>r  to  tlu-  iix  kl'i->li.  I'ldni  its  great 
aliundanci',  it  is  om-  (il'llu-  most  ini|iort.int  ri>lK's  on  the  I'.u  \\h   (oast. 

/.uiiolrpis  litfi/>iiiiii.<  ranges  from  S.m  I'raiu  is( o  northward  in  dei'|)  water, 
it  reaches  a  lengtli  ot'aliont  a  foot,  and  is  of  no  e<'on(>inic  \aliie. 

The  l)right-<'ohired  little  fi^h.  (\\  I'/i /<///.<  /'/,///.\\  ranges  tVoin  S.mta  I'.ar- 
li.\r,i  to  \'aii<(iii\er's  hland.  living  among  rocks  lUMr  shore.  It  ri.a(  hes 
a  leiiL^tli  of  six  im  hes.  is  r.irelv  taken  and  is  then  used  oidv  for  I'.iit. 


The  lieshow.  Aiioplof^onui  fiiiibria,  is  generally  known  in  I'liget  Sound 
liy  the  name  of  *•  1  lorse-ma<  kerel."  At  San  I'rancisc o  it  is  tisually 
called  ••  C'andle-l'ish."  In  the  market  it  is  sometimes  fraudideiitly  sold 
as  S|)anish  mackerel.  It  reai  lies  a  length  of  twenty  inc  lies  and  a  weight 
of  i"i\e  i>ounds.  It  ranges  from  Montere\-  northward  to  Sitka,  in  r.uher 
deep  water,  and  is  generally  coinmon,  es|)ecially  northward.  .\t  Seattle 
it  is  one  of  the  most  altuiidant  fishes,  but  in  the  San  iMaiicisco  market  it 
is  seldom  seen  in  large  numbers.  It  feeds  on  crustaceans,  worm^:,  and 
small  I'lshjs. 

In  the  Straits  of  Fuca  it  reaches  a  much  larger  si/e  tluwi  has  been 
noticed  elsewhere.  It  is  here  \ery  highly  \alued  by  the  Indians,  at  ( ord- 
ing  to  Mr.  Swan.  It  is  (ailed  by  the  Indians  "  IJeshow."  and  is  the 
"  lilack-i'od,"  of  re(ent  writers.  Mr.  James  (1.  Swan  has  gisen  a  full 
report  upon  its  habits  in  a  recent  lUilletin  of  the  Fish  Commission.*  and 
has  forwarded  some  of  the  salted  t'ish  for  examination,  'i'lie  writer  is  not 
prepared  to  give  to  Anoplopoma  a  position  as  yet  among  the  fmest  of 
American  llslies.  although  it  is  no  doubt  an  excellent  kiiul  for  local 
consumption. 

*V.)1.  \     1SS5,  (ip.  -'.'i-j^. 


I.\//  /C/(:i.\     /  /S///:S. 


In  .\l;i>k.>.  arciinliim  In  I 'r.  IUmii,  tlii'  mn^t  iiiiimi  t.mt  i  luruiil  i'isIks 
arc  Ol'hiihli'ii  iloir^itfus,  .tiii\'^/i>f<,niut  fiiiihi\t,  /fi\<i^r(niiiiiii^  i/,iif\;rifiiiiii!is, 
Jf.  /i /!,'•(><•(///(////.>•,  //.  i>rJiiiitfi/s,  II.  ,i.\/'i>\  Mu\  tlir  ••  Wllnw  fi^h."  ••  S|iip*.i| 
I'isli."  nr  ••  Alk.i  M.K  kinl,"  r',iiri\i,'riiiiiiiiiis  iih'n.'/^fi'nxiiis  (l'.ill.i>)  (lill, 
wliiili  i^  tlu'  (  hii't"  III"  lluiii  all.  I'hi^  ri-.li  i^  iiiust  .iliiiiuLmt  .ilmiit  the 
AU'iiti.m  t  h.iiu  iind  iIk-  Slniin.ij,'in>,  it-.  iinrilKri)  limit  a»  imw  imdiTstniul 
liL'iiiL;  aliiiiit  Koiliak,  ami  its  \\i'>t(.'ni  limit  at  .\ika.  It  i  onuii'Liati^  in 
imim  iiso  s(  hools,  and  <  an  Ik'  taken  in  )iiirM'->(.ini>>  liki'  tin-  mai  kiTil. 
\vhi(  !i  it  >tr(»ni;ly  iv^cmbl-'s  in  tasti-  alur  In.'inj;  salti'd  in  tlu'>ami'  maniur. 

In  tiiis  ((iniu't  titin.  imt  ln-'caiiM'  nf  /onlouii  al  altinitiis,  Imt  in  mdi  r 
that  a  majoritv  ut'  tlu-  jiiim  i]ial  tood  ri>.lK's  ol  ilu'  I'ac  il'ic  sl(i|ii'  ma\  \iv  dis- 
(Ussi'd  in  (Hu-  (  hapti-T.  it  si'cins  a|i|>r<)|triat(.'  to  n  Ut  tn  tlu'  lanliinttK  oids 
or  Surf-tlslu's.  I''ull  descriptions  ot"  the  varittus  mcndnTs  ot'  this  mtiltil'orni 
^'onus  arc  given  by  President  Jordan  in  his  ••Synopsis"  and  in  the  i;reat 
I'isheries  ipiarto.  Here  I  can  t)idy  (juoic  what  the  same  authority  has  to 
say  oi'  the  i,'ronp  as  a  whole  : 

••This  remarkaMc  i,'roup  of  fislu's  tonns  the  most  (  hararteristic  leatme 
of  the  tamia  of  otM"  I'ai  il'ic  (na-^t.  ()f  the  nineteen  spe<  ies  now  known,  all 
but  one  [Pi/iiiiitf  7'i'V//w///("/(7' of  jajian)  o(  <  nr  on  the  (nast  of  California, 
and  most  of  them  in  very  ,trreat  ahiiniknu  e.  'I'he  species  are  most  of  them 
\iTV  simil.ir  in  habits  and  economic  \alue.  and  tlu-  followinj^  j,^'nerai 
remarks  are  proffered  bct'ore  pro(  eedinii;  to  the  disc  ii>>ion  of  the  different 
species. 

••  The  general  name  ••  I'en  h  "  is  applied  to  these  t'lshes  CNcrvwhere 
alo!\L;  the  coast.  'I'his  mifortunate  misnomer  <  ame  about  from  their  re- 
semblance to  the  snn-tishes  or  ••  perch  "  of  the  .Southern  .States,  and  to  the 
'•white  pen  h."  h'oi-iiis  tniirririViiis,  of  the  l'!ast.  ( )i\  the  «-oast  of  OrcLfon 
the  larger  species  (especially  Ptiiiiii/it'/it/iys  nrxyrosi'iiii/s)  are  (alk-il 
••  Porgv"  (U-  '•  I'orgce."  in  allusion  to  their  undoubted  resemblam  e  to 
the  scup  or  porgee  of  the  Mast.  The  names  ••  Minny,"  '"Sparada"  and 
*•  Moharra,"  are  also  apjilied  to  the  smaller  species  northward.  About 
San  KraiK  isco,  the  name  ••  IVrc  h  "  is  gi\en  to  them  all,  as  well  as  to  Aiilto- 
////(■.v ///Av/7//'///.v,  and  separate  names  for  the  dit'lcrcnt  species  arc  seldom 
heard,  l-'rom  Monterey  southward,  the  name  ••  Surf-fish  "  is  in  common 
n.se.  although  the  name  "  I'crch  "  is  still  more  common. 

••  The  largest,  Kluu-ochiliis  toxotcs,  reaches  a  weight  of  four  jiounds  ;  the 
smallest.  Ahroiia  miiiiiihu  :i  length  of  four  or  live  inches.  .So  far  as  wc  arc 
able  to  judge,  the  growth  of  the  young  are  (luite  rapid,  as  the  specimens 
arc  about  half  grown  the  first  winter,  and  probably  reach  full  size  in  two 
ami  a  half  to  three  winters — perhaps,  in  some  lases,  in  the  second  vear. 

•'The  center  of  distribution  (jf  this  group   is  from   Santa   Barbara  to 


/•///,   A-O.S7    /vs//  ./.\/)  //.s'  ./////;.v. 


'r.'iii.iKs  r,.iy.  Norilnv.inl  tlu-  nimilur  ..f  ^pccii's  (K-rriMsi-s.  wIn'K-  tl,r 
uuu\\>iv  of  iiidiviilii.il-,  !>,  iKili,i|.s.  t'.|ii;illv  K'v.it  .IS  f.ir  .IS  tlu'  (iuir  ,,r 
(iiurKi.i.  S.Mitl.war.l  l.otli  iii.liM.lu.ils  and  spn  iis  r.ii.i.llv  .limini.h  m 
iimnlur. 

••  riu'ir  r.iii.m'  pn.lMlily  I'stiiid-.  lioin  Ciric-,  M.iii.l  i<.  Sitk.i  :  (iri.iinlv 
lu.  liiilliiT.  Mnst  (.Itluiii  li\r  in  >,li.illu\v  w.ilrr.  on  a  >,an.lv  iM.it.mi.  I...1I1 
111  llu'oi.in  MM  an.l  in  shdUTid  1m\s,  A  sriiu-  .lr,i«n  in  ilu'  si,iV  wMl 
oliiii  Ih'  hllf.l  with  till- Mlv,r\  s|K'.  us  (.////////■,y/,////.v.-  /AvV, ■//,.///,»).  ;,n.|  a 
siMDi' drawn  in  .1  Lay  inav  hi'  i'.|iially  lull  of  /)//n>/hr  Ar/.r.,/,-.  /')/// vw,/ 
Jiirksoiii.  I'tr.  (  hu-  sjnM  ii's  is  <  (Hiliiu'd  lo  tlu'  lu>li  w.nris,  Nr.iilv  .ill  ot' 
tlii-ni  Ci'i'd  cliioily  on  .  rii.sia.ra.  tnyctliiT  with  siidi  sm.ill  iMi  a-,  iluv  ^  m\ 
swallow.  Till-  spcrirs  of  AI,oihi  arc  t  liii-lly  hiTl.ivofoii.s.  In.linu  "H 
.scawrid. 

••Tlu-  I'anluotoK.ids  aiv  all  o\i|,aroiis.  Tlir  voiin- an- litUin  in  1  wi'iitv 
Ml  niinil.ir.  ami  .in-  l.roii.-lu  loiili  in  siniiim  r  :  wh.n'  l.oin.  tlu-  iitiK-  tisji 
an-  tVoni  tlini-  fourtlis  of  an  in.  Ii  to  two  and  .1  lialt  in.  lu-s  in  U-n-tli.  ac 
•  onlm-  lo  till- s|.i-(  ii-s.  'nK-y  aiv  <l.)-,i-ly  |.a.  k.-.l  t.-urtlur  m  ilu-"ni.*m>. 
till'  iniur  sintad- of  wlii.li  lornis  folds  partly  si|mi,ii  in-  tlu-  \niiiiM  tV.  n'l 
r.u  h  ..tlu-r.  'I'lu-  \  oiin-  an- at  liist  i-\.  i-ssi\  i-lv  <  ..iiii-nsM-.l.  with  thr  s.il't 
parts  of  till-  \i-rli.al  liiis  i-\(  i-,si\  ily  i-li\alnl.  '  As  tluir  .U\  ilopnunt  pn.- 
« i-i-ds  tlii-y  ivsniil.li-  ni.iri-  an.l  nion-  tlu-  pan-nt.  .md  wlu-ii  hoin  thi'!,-  forui 
is  <niiii-  siinil.ir.  tin-  body,  liowi-\i-r,  iiioiv  <  oniprt-ssi-d.  tlu-  litis  hl-lnr.  and 
tlu-  (  (il.»r  iisii.dlv  n-il. 

••  inipn-.-nalion  prohahlv  taki-s  pla.i-  in  tlu-  tall,  in  lanu.irv  most  of  tlu- 
spivii-s  lia\i-  till-  y.iim.Li  li.ilf -n.wn.  as  to  Im-th.  ami  wlun  tlu-  panni  lish 
IS  .  aii-ht  the  y.)iiiij,r  R-adily  slip  .)iit  fn.iu  tin-  ..\arv.  I'ldin  laiuiary  t.) 
Jiiiu-  till-  fish-st.dls  wlu-iv  tlu-si-  i'lslus  an-  sold  an-  liit'i-n-d  with  l"lusi-  f,L-l.d 
ri->h.  l-ittlr  is  known  of  tlu-  plan-  of  sp.iwnin,-.  hut  I  sii|,posi-  th.it  tlu- 
yonim  an- simply  i-\trii<li-d  in  tlu- wali-r  just  oiitsi.K-  tlu-  l.n-,iki-is  and  K ft 
to  shift  for  thcinsclvi-s.  As  to  tin- nio.k-  of  impn-,-iiat  ion.  wi-  ha\i-  nia.h- 
n.)  ol)si-rvati()iis.  Dr.  I'.lakr  thinks  that  tlu-  iK-shy'thi.  ki-iiin^  on  tlu-  anal 
tin  of  till-  nKili-  is  to  nivi-  tlu-  fi-inali-  soiiu-ihiiii<  ni  hold  to  with  tlu-  vi-ntr.il 
tins,  ami  that  llio  two  si-xi-s  appn.a.  h  i-a.  h  otiu-r,  \i-iitnil  surfa.  is  to-nlu-r. 
and  with  thi-ir  lu-a.ls  in  oppositi-  din-,  tioiis.  'I'lu-v  li.ivi-  no  spr.  ial  I'luniu-s 
<.'\(L-pt  tliL-  larf,a-r  pn-datoiy  lislics  an.l  tin-  lishi-rnK-n.  who  .li-stn)y  gn-at 
niimlR-rs  at  the  biVL-diiii^  tiiiR-.      \o  discasi-s  have  ln-i-ii  noti.  id. 

"  The  sp(.'.ics  are  all,  with  the  e\.eption  of  tw.)  or  three  of  the  sm.illist, 
used  as  food.  'I'lieir  llesh  is  waterv.  flavorless,  and  11111.  h  inferior  to  that 
of  theScorpionoid,  S.ix-noi.l  an.l  IVn-oid  fishes,  and  onlv  their  ahiindan.c 
gives  iheiii  value.   (Ireal  quantities  oi  them  are  tonsiiined  by  the  Chinese." 


Ill' 


.'T-:^:,^ 


>-, 


TllK  MlSKKI.l.lMi 


PIKE,  MUSKELLUXGE  AND  PICKEREL. 


I  will  give  tliec  for  tliy  food 

No  lish  tliat  iisclli  ill  the  nuid, 

I'lUt  irout  ami  pike,  that  lovotoswiin 

WluMc  llic  mavcl  from  the  liiim, 

'riiruUi;!)  tlic  )iuic  streams  may  he  seen. 

l!i;Ai-.\i(iNr  AND  I'li-h  iii;n,  V'/ir  /-'iii/^i/i// S/i,-/i/u-r(/,:is,  if"!!!. 


The  gooiUy  well-srown  trout,  I  with  my  angle  strike, 
And  witli  my  liearded  wire,  1  take  the  ravenous  I'ike 

Dhayton,  y//,'  J/ust-s  l-:/ysiiiiii,  Nymplial  IV, 


/^NE  of  the  most  ancit-'iit  among  the  families  of  fresh-water  fishes,  is 
^"^that  of  the  Tike — tlie  hsocit/d — a  group  of  physostomoiis  fishes, 
closely  relateil  to  the  llying-fishes,  and  the  cyprinodonts,  and  not  very  dis- 
tantly related  to  the  Salmon  tribe.  This  family  contains  only  the  genus 
J^sox,  which  embraces  five  species,  all  natives  of  North  America,  one.  the 
rike,  being  a  resident  of  the  Old  World,  as  well.  Geologists  tell  us  that 
remains  of  the  Pike  are  found  in  abundance  in  the  cpiartemary  deposits  of 
Europe,  and  that  this,  or  closely  relatetl  species,occur  in  the  diluvial  marl 
of  Silesia,  and  in  the  chalks  of  the  (l-lningen  region.  The  wide  distril)u- 
tion  of  the  Pike  throughout  the  no.thern  regions  of  ICurope,  Asia  and 
America,  indicates  that  ihis  species  was  in  existence  many  centuries  ago, 
before  the  three  continents  became  so  widely  differentiated  as  they  are  at 
the  present  time. 

'i'he  rike  being  the  oldest,  the  most  widely  distributed,  and  the  best 
known  member  of  its  tribe,  shall  serve  as  the  text  for  this  chapter,  and 
the  tyi)e  with  which  the  related  species  shall  be  compared.  So  few. 
however,  have  bee.'i  the  obser\ations  in  this  country,  ami  so  much  has 
I^sox  liicius  been  confused  with   the   other  species   of  the  genus,    tiiat   it 


TJfE  PIKK.  MCSKELLUXGK  AND  riCKEREL. 


-/3 


seems  impracticable'  to  compile  from  American  authorities  a  sati^l'at  tor\- 
aecotmt  ot'its  life  history,  and  in  tlefault  thereof.  lYeiiuent  relerenees  must 
be  uuide  to  the  studies  of  European  observers. 


Till-:   I'IKK. 


In  Eastern  America,  the  Pike  is  abundant  as  far  south  as  Ohio  ;  its 
northward  range  has  not  been  determined,  but  since  its  eNistence  on  the 
Island  of  Kodiak,  in  Alaska,  has  been  demonstrated  by  Dr.  liean. 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  it  will  be  found  pretty  generally  dis- 
tributed throughout  British  America.  It  h.as  not  been  recorded  from 
Greenland,  or  the  islands  of  the  Polar  Sea.  Its  ICuropean  range  extends 
from  Britain  to  Silesia,  and  doubtless  cast  to  Kamtchatka,  throughout  the 
Scandinavian  peninsida,  and  north  in  Lapland,  even  beyond  the  limits  of 
the  birch-tree.     It  inhabits  most  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  of  European 


176 


AMERICAX  FrSTFES. 


Russia  and  Siberia,  Imt  docs  not  enter  tliose  of  the  Trans-Caucasus,  and 
the  Crimea.  On  the  south  it  enters  Rouniania,  and  has  been  found  in  the 
Lake  of  St.  Stefanos,  near  Constantinople,  in  the  hiyoons  of  \'enire.  w 
Swit/erhmd  and  l-'rance,  but  not  in  the  Iberian  jjeninsula. 

It  is  found  in  all  i)arts  of  Clermany,  not  only  in  the  hiL;h  nioinitain 
region,  but  alont;  the  sea-roast  of  Northern  Cermany.  and  even  close  to  the 
shores  of  the  IJattic.  The  highest  vertical  distribution  on  the  northern  side 
of  the  Alps,  is  in  the  'i'yrolean  Lake  of  llahlen,  3.61S  feet.  On  the 
south,  it  occurs  in  certain  lakes  of  the  Tyrol,  and  in  the  Lake  of  Reschen, 
4,6157  feet,  which  is  ap])arently  the  loftiest  jjoint  of  its  distribution.  In 
Switzerland,  a( cording  to  Tsciiudi,  it  ranges  to  3,39s  feet. 

Tlie  (  liniate  of  Ilngland  and  Cermany  seems  suited  to  its  best  de\elop- 
ment,  and  its  persistence  in  low  latitudes  will  probably  be  found  to  be  due 
to  a  sjjecial  adaptability  for  hybernati(jn. 

The  Muskellunge,  Jisox  nohilioi\  is  the  ri\al  of  the  I'ike  in  si/e  and 
vigor,  but  is  very  limited  in  its  gecjgraphical  range,  occurring  onlv  in  the 
Creat  Lake  region  of  America,  and  in  the  St.  Lawrence  River.*  It  is 
very  like  the  Pike,  but  has  a  head  pro]  ortionally  somewhat  larger,  and  its 
color  is  markedly  different.  In  general  hue,  it  is  dark  grey,  with  silvery 
lustre,  belly  white,  sides  dotted  with  round,  blackish  and  brownish 
blotches,  and  the  fins  fleeted  with  black.  The  I'ike  on  the  otiier  hand  has 
•  its  markings  white  or  yellowish,  upon  a  darker  background  of  green,  dark 
grey  or  brown  ;  in  European  examples  the  lighter  markings  are  often  con- 
fluent and  band-like. 


Till-;  CHAIN  I'icKKitr.i., 

The  "  Pickerels,"  of  .American  nomenclature,  are  three  in  number,  and 

*  It  h;is  frciiuciitly  beons.iiil  in  i)iint  tliat  .\Iiiskclliin:;c  were  intr.nliieeil  into  a  pinul  near  liellnw's  I'alN, 
Mass.,  in  1838,  ami  that  tiiey  have  since  escaped  into  the  Coiniecticnt,  where  tliey  have  licconie  ahnmlant. 
'I'his  is  a  .creat  mistake.  1  have  examined  several  cf  tliese  woiild-he  .Muskeliinii;e  from  tlie  Connecticut,  Imt 
all  of  them  proved  to  Ijc  overgrown  I'ike.     This  species  prob.ilily  does  not  occur  in  the  Connecticut. 


PIKE,  ML'SKEI.I.rXGK  AXD  PICKERI-I . 


an.'  nuich  smaller.  Eso.\  rrticiiliitiis.  is  tisuallv  known  in  llic  North  Ii\-  the 
nanu'  ••  Pi(  kcrcl  ";  in  the  Sduthc/n  States  it  i->  thr  ••jack."  It  is  found 
<  hiilly  in  tiic  streams  alonij  the  Atlantic  ( oast,  from  Maine  to  Alahama. 
and  is  generally  ahundant,  esjet  ially  in  (dear,  urassy  < niks  and  jiond--. 
It  is  not  t'oimd  in  the  Lake  region,  nor  west  of  the  AlUghanies.  It  some- 
times, though  rarelv,attains  the  wvight  of  se\en  or  eight  pounds,  and  the 
length  of  three  or  four  feet,  and  is  much  more  slender  in  form,  and  gra(  e- 
tut  in  motion  than  the  IMke.  It  is  yellow-green  or  brown  in  color,  with 
an  interlacing  network  of  hrown  lines.  co\ering  the  hodw  Its  pciiiliar 
markings  have  given  it  the  name  of  ••Chaiti  Pickerel."  and  iiatrioti< 
Americans  of  early  Federal  days  tailed  it  the  *•  l''ederation  I'ike."  an 
allusion  to  the  (  hain  of  thirteen  linked  ra\s,  s\nil>oli(  al  of  the  I'edi'r.d 
union,  which  was  stamped  upon  certain  copper  coins  used  during  the  last 
century. 


TlIK  r.UOOK  PICKriiKI..  ' 

Esox  amcriiamis,  the  '-Brook  Pickerel,"  or  "  Pianded  Pickerel," 
sometimes  also  called  the  '*  Long  Island  Pickerel,"  "  Trout  PickerL;l."  and 
"  l\)nd  I'ike."  is  comparatively  small,  rarely  exceeding  a  foot  in  length, 
though  occasionally  reaching  the  weight  of  five  to  eight  pounds.  Itscolor 
is  dark  green,  with  about  twenty  blackish,  lateral,  transverse  bands, 
usually  curved,  often  obscure,  but  never  net-like.  There  is  a  bla<  k  line 
below  the  eye,  and  another  through  the  eye  and  snout.  The  fins,  espe- 
cially in  the  breeding  season, are  bright  red.  This  species  occiu's  in  the 
brooks  on  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  Alleghanies,  from  Florida  north  to 
Massachusetts. 

Another  diminutive  Pike,  similar  in  form  and  color  to  the  last,  is  Esox 
vcrmictilatits  (Esox  n///*')  whi<h  is  found  in  the  Missis>i|)]ii  valley, 
esjiecially  in  the  small  streams  and  l)a\-ous  in  the  South  and  A\'est.  This 
si)ecies  is  also  green,  with  numerous  darker  transverse  bands  or  stripes,  but 


278 


AMERICAN  FJSIIES. 


\r 


they  are  usually  arraycil  in  net-work,  or  in  such  manner  as  to  prodiue  a 
"  marbled  "  effect.*  It  has  been  called  the  ■•  llump-back  I'lckerel,"  and  is 
of  little  ^alue  for  food. 

The  common  names  of  this  grouj)  of  fishes  offer  an  opportunity  for  nnu  h 
curious  research.  The  oldest  name  in  literature  is  the  Latin  "  Lucius." 
by  which  it  was  doubtless  known  to  the  gourmets  of  classic  times. 
which  was  mentioned  by  the  poet  Ausonius,  in  the  fourth  centin-y,t  and 
which  lingered  in  the  old  Lrench  "T,us"  and  the  names  "  Luecio  "  or 
'*Lugg(j"  by  which  Italians  still  know  tlie  species. 

Although  it  is  customarily  stated  that  the  I'ike  was  unknown  to  tlie 
ancient  (Ireeks,  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  that  this  is  the  iish  which  Athen- 
;v;us,  sixteen  centuries  ago,  called  Lyiiis,  just  as  the  Ciermans  of  to-day 
name  it  in  familiar  phrases  the  "' Wasserwolf  "  (Water  Wolf).  Another 
vestige  of  this  name,  is  the  Knglish  "Luce,"  commonly  applied  to  large 
individuals  in  the  days  of  Chaucer. J  and  not  unfamiliar  in  later  days, 
because  of  the  e.xtensivc  use  of  the  fishes  under  tiiis  name  as  one  of  tlie 
symbols  of  heraldry.  Shakespeare  has  immortalized  the  arms  as  well  as 
the  name  of  the  name  of  the  country  s(|uire,  whom  he  hated,  in  his 
allusion  to  the  escutcheon  of  the  Lucys,  and  the  blood-thirsty  Sir  Lucius 
O'Trigger  in  Sheridan's  "  Rivals,"  doubtless  owed  his  pra;nomen  to  the 
savage  Ksox. 

The  name  Pike,  the  philologist  says,  has  been  given  to  this  fish,  either 
from  the  likeness  of  its  nose  to  a  pike  or  spear,  or  because  it  moves  itself 

*  Since  it  is  l)y  no  means  a  simple  matter  to  discriminate  between  these  species,  especially  when  yunnjt;, 
I  depart  friiiii  my  usual  custom,  and  present  a  key,  in  which  sumo  technical  terms  are  used.     This  table  is 
based  upon  Jordan's  dia,i;nosis. 
vjheeks  and  opcrcula  completely  covered  with  scales. 

JJranchioste^jals,  12  in  nnndier.     Colors  obscure.     About  105  scales  in  lateral  line. 
Diameter  of  eye  contained  5  times  in  lcn;;th  of  head,  and 

neaily  twice  in  snout,  its  posterior  marniii  scarcely  behind  middle  of  head.     J^.aiiu'ricanus. 
Diameter  of  eye  Ci  in  length  of  head,  and  less 
than  I!  in  that  of  snout,  the  eye  being  exactly  in 
midille  of  head.  /,".  x't'riiihii/atiis. 

Uranchiosteijals  14-16.     About  us  scales  in  lateral 
Diameter  of  eye,  8  in  that  of  head,  !'. 
in  snout.     Snout  proldiiyed,  nearly  half  the  Ieiit;lh 
of  the  head.     Colors  bright,  markings  reticni.ile. 
/•,'.  ri/i\  ii/a/iis. 
Cheeks  scaly,  lower  half  of  operciila  bare.     Ihancliiostegals  14-16 
Color  ; — light  spots  on  .1  dark  ground.     JC.  /iniiis 
Lateral  line  12^. 
Lower  half  of  cheeks  and  opercula  bare.     Uranchiostegals  16-ig. 
Color  ; — Black  spots  on  lighter  groiuid.     /.'.  iiobilior. 
Lateral  line  150, 

f  I.fcius  obscurus  idva  ca;noque  lacunas 
Obsidet:   I  lie  nullos  mens;'.rum  lectus  ad  usas 
Fervet  fumosis  oliilo  nidore  jiopinis.  MoseUc,  120-124. 

I  Full  many  a  f.it  partricke  had  he  in  niewe. 
And  many  a  Urenic  and  many  a  Luce  in  stewe.     Canterbury  Tales. 


' 


PIKE,   Ml  ski:  I.I  A' XGE  AXD  PICK  E  RE  L. 


-:') 


in  tliL'  water  like  a  spear  thrown  :  and  ri(  kcrel  is  regarded  as  another 
forni  of  the  same  word.*  Jat  k.  >ays  tlie  same  authority  is  ••  perhaps  t'rom 
Jaciihim.  beeaiise  like  a  Javelin,  eitiier  in  shape  or  motion."  The  Trent  h 
••  r.rochet."  is  of  similar  origin,  and  has  refereiu  e  to  the  resend)lan(  e  ot" 
the  llsh  to  a  spit  or  long  needle,  and  •'  Lance"  and  "  i.anieron."  refer 
to  its  mode  of  motion. 

In  I'lngland,  in  the  early  days,  when  transportation  was  slow,  ami  those 
w!io  lived  in  castle  and  monasteries  had  the  car]!,  and  the  bream,  and  the 
pike  grown  in  their  own  fish-ponds  for  a  sole  dejiendence.  Iisox  ///i///s 
were  more  highly  esteemed  than  at  ]iresent.  and  this  one  species  was  hon- 
ored with  many  names. 

The     l"ish.   we   learn   from  1  lalliwell's  ••  1  )iciionarv  of  Arc  haic  Words," 

was  ••  first  a  Ja(  k,  tiien  a  Pickerel,  thirdly  a  J'ike.  ami  last  of  all  a  l.uce." 

'I'his    statement     agrees     with     the     prevailing     idea     that     in     I'.ngl.Mid. 

••  Pickerel  "  is  used  as  a  diminnti\e  of  I'ike.      \\'hether  or  not  this  was  the 

usage  in    the   fourteenth   centiu\v  seems   a    little   doulitful.    when    we   read 

what  Chancer  wrote  : 

"  P>et  is,"  ciuote  lie,  "  a  pike  than  a  ]iickerel, 
And  i)et  tiian  old  beef  in  tlie  tei'der  veal."f 

I  am  assured  by  good  authority,  tliat  Jat  k,  rather  than  Pickerel,  is  at 
present  the  customary  name  in  IJritain  for  young    Pike. 

The  word  Pickerel  is  employed  in  America,  to  designate  any  small 
spei  ies  of  Pike,  anil  since  this  name  seems  to  have  been  almost  abundant 
in  England,  this  usage  may  perhaps  be  allowed  to  i>ass  unchallenged. 
Confusion  sometimes  has  arisen  from  the  fact  that  in  the  West,  the  *'  Pike 
per(  h."  Stizostcdiuin,  is  also  by  many  called  "pickerel."  (See  American 
Angler.  Feb.  25,  1882.) 

Concerning  the  name  ^[uskellunge,  there  haxebc.'n  manv  controversies. 
In  a  recent  issue  of  "  Forest  and  Stream."  Mr.  l-'red  Mather  has  given 
a  \  erv  thorough  history  of  the  name  in  its  various  versions. 

The  predacious  nature  cjf  the  Pike  is  proverbial.  It  eats  nearly  all  other 
l;inds  of  fishes,  sparing  not  e\en  its  own  species,  and  also  devours  frogs, 
mice,  rats,  and  even  young  ducks.  Although  it  is  voracious  in  its  attacks 
upon  its  prey,  it  remains  generally  in  ([uiet  and  seems  to  ])refer  (piiet  and 
sU)w-llowing  waters  rather  than  swift  streams. 


■■•  skinner. 

t  Marcluiiit's  T;ile,  verse  ir-'73. 


!(  R  i 


I     i 


'i  i  ! 


mi 


I: 


I 


280 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


'I'lie  Pikes  have  been  well  described  as  mere  machines  for  the  assimi- 
lation of  animal  matter.  They  are  the  woh  es  of  the  ponds,  the  blue-fish 
of  the  fresh  waters,  and  nothing  comes  amiss  to  their  ravenous  maws. 
The  habits  of  the  European  spec  ies  are  thus  described  by  a  recent  writer: 

"Shrouded  from  observation  in  his  solitary  retreat,  he  follows  with  his 
e)e  the  motions  of  the  shoals  of  fish  that  wander  heedlessly  along  ;  he 
marks  the  water-rat,  swimming  to  his  burrow,  the  ducklings  jjaddling 
among  the  waterweeils,  the  dabchicks  and  moorhens  leisurely  swimming 
on  the  surface,  he  selects  his  victim,  and  like  the  tiger  springing  from  the 
jungle,  he  rushes  forth,  seldom  indeed  missing  his  aim  ;  there  is  a  sudden 
rush,  circle  after  circle  forms  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  all  is  still 
again  in  an  instant." 

"No  (juadruped,  bird  or  fish  that  the  Pike  can  cai)ture,  seems  tt)  be 
secure  from  its  voracity,  and  even  the  spiny  perch  is  an  acce])table  ])rey 
to  this  water  tyrant,"  wrote  Richardson,  speaking  of  its  habits  in  Pritish 
America. 

The  breeding  habits  of  the  Pike  have  been  best  tlescribed  by  mv 
friend  Prof.  Benecke,  of  Kcinigsberg,  who  writes: 

"The  Pike  inhabits  all  the  waters  of  (lermany  except  shallow  and 
rapid  brooks.  It  i)refers  clear,  quiet  water  with  clean  bottom  ;  is  nsually 
active  at  night  and  quiet  in  the  daytime  ;  lurks  among  the  plants  in  con- 
venient corners,  whence  it  rushes  forth  with  arrow-like  velocity.  It  lives 
a  hermit  life,  only  consorting  in  pairs  during  the  spawning  season.  The 
pair  of  fish  then  resort  to  shallow  places  upon  meadows  and  l)anks  which 
have  been  overflowed,  and,  rubbing  violently  upon  each  other,  deposit 
their  spawn  in  the  midst  of  powerful  blows  of  their  tails.  The  female 
<leposits  generally  about  100,000  yellowish  eggs,  about  three  millimeters 
in  diameter,  out  of  Avhich  in  the  course  of  fourteen  days  the  young,  with 
their  great  umbilical  sacs,  escape." 

In  (lermany,  the  spawning  time  of  the  Pike,  as  is  shown  in  an  elaborate 
table  presented  by  Wittmack,  often  begins  in  the  latter  part  of  February, 
and  lasts,  depending  somewhat  on  the  temjierature  and  the  weather,  into 
March  and  April,  sometimes  even  into  May. 

In  South  (iermany  the  spawning  time  is  later  than  in  Prussia,  while  in 
Ireland  and  Sweden,  it  ajjpears  to  be  earlier.  In  Norway,  according  to 
Lloyd,  there  are  three  successive  spawnings,  which  correspond  to  the 
disai)pearance  of  the  winter  ice,  the  jiairing  of  the  frogs,  and  the  unfolding 


PIKE,  MUSKELLUXGE    AXD  PICKEREL. 


281 


of  the  vernal  leaves,  the  l)roo(ls   being  known  as  "lie-Pike,"    ••  Frug- 
Pike,"  and  "Blossom-Pike." 

Benecke's  estimate  of  tlie  number   of  eggs   is   undoubtedly   too   low. 
Bu<kland  states  that  in  a  Pike  of  twenty-eight  pounds,    the   roes  weighed 
twenty-one  ounces,  and  tontained  292,320  eggs,  while  in  one  of  tliirty-two 
pounds,  there  were  595,000  eggs,  weighing  five  jjounds. 

Benecke's  period  of  incubation  woukl  be  too  short  for  more  northern 
climates.  In  (Ireat  Britain  and  Sweden,  they  reqtiire  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  days  to  come  to  maturity. 

vSeeley  states  that  the  young  fish  breed  at  the  age  t)f  three  years,  and 
that  the  females  are  larger  than  the  males. 

The  newly  hatched  Pikes  grow  rapidly  when  ])rovide(l  abundantly  with 
food.  A  yearling  fish  in  Prussia  is  often  a  foot  in  length,  and  aicon'ing 
to  Seeley  a  two-year-old  may  with  exceptional  feeding,  weigh  six  or  seven 
pounds. 

Wittmack  gives  a  number  of  statements  from  authorities  in  different 
parts  of  (lermany,  showing  the  annual  rate  of  growth  of  the  J'ike.  whi(  li 
apjiears  to  vary  from  two  to  three  pounds,  the  maximtun  si/e  attained 
being  from  forty-five  to  seventy  i)ounds.  He  cites  one  instance  in  whii  h, 
in  two  simimers,  a  few  individuals,  liberated  in  a  })ond  full  of  a  s])ecies  of 
carp,  grew  from  the  weight  of  one  and  three-tpiarters  to  that  of  about  ten 
pounds. 

As  to  the  size  to  which  a  Pike  may  ultimately  attain,  there  exist  import- 
ant differences  of  opinion.  Frank  Buckland  naively  remarks  that  ••  from 
the  days  of  (lesner  down,  more  lies,  to  jnit  it  in  very  plain  language — have 
been  told  about  the  Pike  than  any  other  fish  in  the  world  :  and  the  greater 
the  improbability  of  the  story,  the  more  particularly  is  it  sure  to  be 
quoted."  This  savage'  thrust  at  Gesner  and  his  comnienters,  has  especial 
reference  to  the  story  of  that  enormous  fish,  nineteen  feet  in  length, 
caught  in  the  year  1497,  in  a  jiool  near  Hailprun  in  Suabia,  and  which 
carried  attached  to  its  gills,  a  brass  ring  upon  which  was  a  Greek  inscrip- 
tion, which  said: — "  I  am  that  fish  that  was  first  put  into  this  lake  by  the 
hands  of  the  Emperor  Frederick  II,  on  the  fifth  day  of  October,  1230." 
The  skeleton  of  this  fish  was  said  to  have  been  preserved  at  Mannheim  for 
many  years,  and  there  is  a  tradition  that  some  inquiring  anatomist  dis- 
covered that  it  had  been  lengthened  by  the  addition  of  several  vertebrae. 
While  it  is  true  that   "  the  legends  of  fishes   with   rings   bearing  ancient 


282 


.LUJiA'/C.I.V  J'JSJ//':S. 


L 


(latL's  li;i\L'  Mot  that  (luality  of  xcracity  \vhi(  h  is  rLMpiircd  hv  s(  icncc."  it  is 
also  true  that  it  was  the  |)ra<ti(L'  in  early  days  to  fasten  inscribed  ring's  in 
the  ,i,m11  eovers  of  fishes.  I'ennell  states  that  in  1610,  a  I'ike  was  taken  in 
the  Meuse,  liearinL,^  a  copper  rinic  datini;  144N.  it  is  very  curious  that  no 
l'ji!j;iish  writer  ow  the  Pike  seems  to  have  taken  pains  to  investigate  the 
("lernian  records  which  undonhtedly  contain  accurate  and  critical  esti- 
mates of  the  value  of  this  tradition. 

l!u(  kland  seems  disposed  to  doubt  the  existence  of  Pike  larger  than 
those  which  have  come  "under  his  own  personal  knowledge,"  a  method 
sufficiently  skeptical  no  doubt,  but  not  necessarily  scientific.  lie  saw  one 
forty-six  and  a  half  inches  K)ng,  weighing  thirty-five  pouniis,  and  ascer- 
tained to  be  about  thirteen  years  old,  another  thirty  inclies  long,  weighing 
twenty-four  i)oun(ls,  another  of  forty-three  inches,  and  twenty-eiglit 
jiounds.  and  forty-four  inches  ami  thirty-two  pounds,  anil  two  others,  one 
forty-six  and  a  half  inches,  and  thirty-five  pounds,  and  one  forty-six 
inches,  and  thirty-six  ])ounds,  were  taken  by  his  friend  Mr.  Jardine. 
Daniell,  in  liis  "Rural  Sports,"  speakes  of  a  Scotch  example,  seventy-two 
pounds,  and  o\er  seven  feet  in  length.  I'ennell  refers  to  others  captured 
on  the  Continent,  which  weighed  So,  97,  and  145  pounds,  the  latter 
caught  at  ]>regenty  in  1862. 

There  is  no  inherent  ini])robability  in  these  stories,  since  the  Muskel- 
lunge  often  attains  the  weight  of  eighty  i)ounds  or  more,  as  is  attested  by 
numerous  witnesses. 

No  records  of  colossal  Pike  arc  found  in  the  annals  of  American 
anglers — j)erhai)s  because  the  large  Pike  are  usually  pronounced  by  uncriti- 
cal anglers  to  be  in  Muskellunge. 

The  western  Pickerel,  Esox  vcnniculatus,  said  to  have  been  known  to 
the  Indians  by  the  name  Piccanaii,  has  been  known  to  attain  the  weight 
of  twenty  pounds,*  but  at  the  present  day  never  exceeds  seven  or  eight, 
and  as  usually  seen,  is  not  more  than  a  foot  in  length.  The  eastern  brook 
Pickerel  is  likewise  diminutive. 

In  his  census  investigation  of  the  (ireat  Lakes,  Mr.  Kumlien  obtained 
the  following  notes  upon  the  abundance  of  the  Pike  and  Muskellunge  : 

"On  the  western  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  Pike  appear  to  be  resident 
in  those  portions  of  the  lake  off  Racine,  and  are  very  rarely  taken  in  gill- 
nets.      At  the  west  end  of  Lake  Erie,  individuals  are  at  rare  intervals  taken 

*  Mississippi. 


PIKE,  MUSKELLUXGE  AXD  PICKER  El.. 


■^S 


ill  pound-iK'ts  SL't  in  the  deepest  water.  Aluiut  San<ltisky  and  \  i(  init\-. 
like  tlie  Miiskelluiige,  tliey  are  said  to  he  ratlier  rare,  tlioui^h  a  few  taken 
in  winter  around  Tut-in-liay  Island  are  there  regarded  as  residents  of  (old, 
deep  water.  Above  Cleveiand  they  are  not  known  to  the  t"isherinen.  hut 
in  the  \  icinity  of  Ashtabula,  considerable  numbers  are  sometimes  taki'u  in 
sprinij — one  or  two  hundred  pounds  at  a  haul  of  a  potmd-net.  ( )n  the 
south  shore  of  Lake  lOrie.  very  few  are  taken  in  pounds,  and  it  is  there 
thought  that  they  keep  constantly  in  deep  water  and  seldom  apjiroai  h  the 
shore.  They  are  very  salable  and  uuk  h  sought  at'ter.  but  apparently 
nowhere  abundan    " 

Among  the  Islands  dotting  the  southwestern  jiart  of  Lake  Superior,  in- 
(  hiding  the  .\postle  Islands.  Sand,  York,  and  Koc  k  Islands,  and  others, 
Muskellunge  are  caught  in  small  (piantities  in  the  pound-nets.  The  Muskel- 
lunge  is  occasionally  caught  in  the  small  bays  indenting  the  shore  south 
of  Keweenaw  Point  as  far  as  Huron  I'.ay.  and  with  it  a  large  and  nuu  h 
lighter-colored  fish  that  may  jjossibly  be  J'.sox  Itiiitis.  This  latter  is  not 
well  known  among  the  fishermen,  but  Mr.  j-ldgarton  says  he  has  often 
notif  ed  it,  and  has  remarked  that  the  general  aspect  was  different  from 
that  of  the  Muskellunge.  On  the  fishing  grotmds  at  the  north  end  of 
(Ireen  Bay  this  is  a  rare  fish,  only  half  a  do/en  or  so  being  taken  each 
year.  When  it  occiu's  it  is  fi»und  at  any  and  at  no  particular  |)oint.  Not 
a  single  specimen  of  this  fish  was  taken  by  Mr.  Nelson  in  ten  year's  fish- 
ing in  the  Cedar  River  ilistnct.  and  Mr.  Mverland  in  thirty-six  years  has 
not  taken  half  a  do/en.  'Hiey  are  reported  of  occasional  occurrence  in 
the  Monomonee  Ri\er;  but  are  not  found  in  deep  nets  far  out  in  the  bay. 

Lower  down  on  the  west  coast  of  (Ireen  Bay,  from  Longtail  Point  to 
Peshtigo  Point,  this  fish  occiu's  everywliere,  but  nowhere  in  abundance. 
A  specimen  was  taken  at  Washington  Island  in  iS66  tliat  weighed  forty- 
four  poimds.  The  fishermen  of  this  stretch  of  coast-line  pronounce  it 
Musk-ka-lone.  At  dreen  Bay  City  this  fish  is  caught  frecpiently  weighing 
forty  pounds.  It  is  common  at  this  jioint,  /.  e.  the  southern  end  of  (Ireen 
Bay.  Ascending  the  eastern  shore  of  (Ireen  Bay  as  far  as  St.  Martin's 
Island  the  Muskellunge  is  very  rare,  being  known  by  name  only  to  a  great 
many  of  the  fishermen.  Following  the  western  shore  of  T-ake  Michigan 
southward  from  Port  des  Mortes  on  the  north,  as  far  south  as  ALinitowoc, 
this  fish  is  rare.  At  Jacksonport  two  have  been  taken  in  seven  years.  At 
Two  Rivers  only  one  has  ever  been  recorded,  viz.,  in  1S78.     At  Manito- 


.^S4 


AM/'.A'/cA.y  /'7sin:s. 


woe  it  is  k'ss  scan  f,  being  caught  soinctiuK-s  in  pound -nets,  and  more 
rtc(iuently  in  the  River.  At  Milwaukee,  the  Muskelhinge  occurs  in  the 
lake  liut  rarely  :  it  is  never  caught  in  gill-nets.  In  iS6S  Mr.  S(  hult/  took 
(UU'  ill  i  small  seine,  in  the  old  harl)or,  weighing  one  huudri'd  junrnds. 
This  is  lielie\ed  by  Mr.  Kiniilien  to  he  a  fact,  luuing  lieen  testified  to.  as 
he  says,  '•  by  so  many  reliable  i)ersons."  He  adds:  '•  l'\)rmerly,  l"i>h  of 
tliis  kind  weighing  eighty  pounds  were  far  from  rare." 

On  the  9th  of  .\pril.  a  fish  of  this  si)ecies  four  feet  in  length  was  taken 
at  Ratine;  head  to  operculum,  ten  inches  ;  to  eye,  four  inches;  greatest 
<ir(  iimtereiK  e.  twenty  and  one-half  inches  ;  over  eye,  eighteen  im  lies  ;  at 
gills,  eighteen  inches  ;  weight,  forty-live  pounds.  These  fish  are  never 
here  taken  in  the  gill-nets  ;  they  are  resident  in  the  hike  about  Rat  ine  in 
winter.  A  verv  few  have  been  known  to  occur  at  Waukegan.  On  the 
southeastern  shi)re  of  Lake  Michigan,  inchubng  the  tlsheries  of  Saugatuck, 
South  Haven,  and  St.  Jose])h,  this  fish  is  rejiorted  as  always  bei'ig  of  a 
large  si/e.  At  l.udington,  farther  north,  only  one  instance  of  capture  is 
on  record  ;   it  is  also  said  to  l>e  very  rare  at  (irand  Haven. 

But  little  has  been  reported  regarding  the  occurrence  of  the  Miiskel- 
lunge  upon  the  numerous  fishing  gromuls  along  the  north  shore  of  the 
southern  jieninsuhi  of  Michigan,  lietween  Little  Traverse  Hay  and  Thunder 
Hay.  It  is  generally  rare  through  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  only  about 
half  a  do/en  being  taken  each  season  ;  and  most  abundant  of  all  at  Les 
Cheneaux  Islands.  C'a])t.  Coats  caught  one  here,  in  1S74,  weighing 
sixty-two  pounds.  These  fish  are  rarely  taken  in  ]H)und-nets,  and  are 
chielly  caught  with  hook  and  line  about  the  Les  Cheneaux  ;ind  Drummond 
Islands.  Capt.  Dingman  has  caught  only  one  in  his  pound-net  in  the  past 
fifteen  years.  All  caught,  of  which  he  has  heard,  have  been  large.  In 
Thunder  Hay,  about  a  tlozen,  on  an  average,  are  taken  in  twelve  months. 
In  Saginaw  Hay,  they  are  taken  in  about  the  same  numbers  as  in  Tiiunder 
Hay.  Here  too  they  are  always  large  fish.  A  few  are  taken  in  seines 
along  the  coast  between  Port  aiix  Hartpies  and  I'ort  Huron.  A  tew  also 
are  taken  annually  in  the  St.  Clair  River  ;  iKMha])s  a  dozen  or  two  alto- 
gether in  this  region  during  a  year.  Between  Toledo  and  Detroit  River, 
Lake  I'.rie,  a  specimen  of  this  fish  is  taken  now  and  then  in  the  jiound- 
nets.  ^\■hen  taken,  it  is  always  large.  The  same  remark  will  apply  to 
the  vicinity  of  Toledo  and  Maumee  Hay.* 

*  Mr.  I'rcU  Alforil  states  tliat  he  procured  a  Muskellunge  from  Maumee  Bay,  in  1864,  weighing  eighty-five 
pounils. 


yvAv;,   i/r.sAv;/./. r.\(//';  ./.\7>  ricKi.Rii., 


jS: 


Alidiii  |,(M  ii>t  Point  a  iVw  ari'  t.iki'ii  in  tlu-  t'.ill.  Twi'iitx  vi.iis  a^o.  in 
this  rryitiu.  iiu  liidiiii;  tlio  l"i>lu  riis  ol'i  )lta\va.  Port  ("I  in  tun,  'l'(ll|•^^,lint.  ami 
I,(uiist  Point,  MiKskclIuiif^e  were  taki'n  vwiL^liiii^'  sixty  or  srwntv  iiotinds. 
In  Sandusky  l?ay,  s|ic<iiiK'ns  are  <aui;lit  ot'  torty-t'i\o  immukIs  ui'i^lit,  and 
at  Kflley's  Island  one  was  caught  weii,diinj,' litty-sesen  pounds,  and  another 
sixty-two  pounds. 

In  (oniuttion  with  the  Huron  (<  )hio)  llsheries,  it  i>  rejiorted  that  about 
one  hundred  and  i'ltty  l"ish  of  tliis  spec  ies  wi're  taktii  in  se\int\  live  nets 
(hnini;  the  _\ear  1S79.  They  are  liere  generally  large,  and  ari'  .d\\a\s 
taken  in  pairs.  Three  or  fotn-  ri.'i>resent  a  year's  <  at(  h  ot'  this  li>h  at  Wr 
million,  ()hio.  Aln)iit  Pilaek  Kixfr.  I.orain  County.  Ohio,  .Xndier^t.  an<l 
ISrownhelin  l>ay,  it  is  very  scarce,  lew  being  (  aught  in  nets  ;  all  that  ari' 
taken  are  large.  ()t"this  llsh,  in  (i)nne(tion  with  the  ('Ie\ eland  and  |)o\er 
l>av  llsheries,  it  may  be  said  that  it  is  \ery  rat\',  and  is  be( oming  more  >o 
eai  h  year.  Mr.  Sadler  sa\s  he  took  one  weigiiing  eighty  pounds.  The 
lishermen  say  they  are  always  found  in  pairs. 

The  Muskelhmge  is  taken  at  (.'oniieaut,  at  the  rate  of  half  a  do/en  in 
ten  years.  Only  one  specimen  was  taken  in  the  Paines\ille  pound-,  in 
1S79.  .\t  l-'airport  and  W'illoughby,  ( )luo,  no  mention  is  made  of  its 
occurrence.  Mrie  r>ay,  especially  at  Dunkirk  and  Parcflona,  New  N'ork, 
Mrie.  Pennsylvania,  and  Mill's  drove,  Ohio,  is  famous  for  its  .Muskellunge 
fishing;  this  i)ast  season,  over  sixty  were  caught,  weighing  from  tweiitv  to 
t'orty-five  pounds.  They  are  caught  by  trawling.  l-'ancy  prices  are  paid 
for  them  :  about  twenty-five  cents  per  pound  retail  in  the  city,  and  twehe 
and  a  half  c-ents  when  shipped.  More  were  caught  during  the  season  t)f 
1X79  than  ever  before. 

The  following  notes  relate  to  the  llshery  in  Lake  Ontario:  .\t  ( )swego, 
the  fish  is  very  rare  on  the  American  side  ;  at  Port  Ontario,  one  is  o( ca- 
sionally  caught  ;  at  Cape  \'incent.  they  are  common,  especially  in  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Nine  have  been  brought  in  in  one  day,  the  smallest  of  whi(  h 
weighed  thirty-two  ])ounds.  Tliey  are  not  now,  however,  so  plentiful 
here  as  formerly.  .\t  Chaumont  very  few  are  caught.  Seven  years  ago 
one  was  captured  here  weighing  sixty-five  pounds.  At  Sacket's  Harbor, 
very  few  Muskellunge  are  caught. 

'i'he  Pike  is  in  I'-urope  considered  one  of  the  most  im])ortant  of  game 
fishes.  Isaac  \\'alton  devotes  to  it  an  entire  chapter,  and  Mr.  Cholmon- 
deley-Pennell.  a  well-known  I'higlish  writer  on  angling,  has  published  a 
considerable  work,  entitled  "The  Hook  of  the  I'ike." 


:■* 


.'So 


I  ]//'AW(\IX  //.S7//.V. 


Iliit  Ixi.iiiil.  in  his  '•  Ilisldiy  of  l!ritisli  l'"islus."  di'v dIi-s  m-vi'ImI  |>;i;,'i's  t(» 

liu-  «'\|'lii|ts  111'  \l  I  .    All'lcd    l.iniilU'.    U  lull-   111'  (ll'sililH-S  ;is    "  tlu'    must    SlK  - 

(  I'ssl'iil  ;iHL;U'r  lor  I'lkc  in  ninilnii  linus." 

In  this  ((lUiiUN .  llu'  I'iki'  ami  llu-  I'ii  ktirls  Ii.im'  I'lw  trirmis.  allliduuli 
tJK-  Miiskriliinm'  is  not  without  adnuiiTs,  anions  ihosi-  who  lish   for  sport. 

I'hr  opposition  partv  is  KmI  (  hirlly  l>y  thi'  anuh'f  lisli  (  iillin'ists,  who  havf 
Utiod  rrason  tor  iluir  spiti'.  siiK  i'  thr  hungry  I'.sox  is  a  sad  tot.'  to  thi'  pro- 
priiMor  ol' a  lish  pri'si'rw,  and  initil  it  has  lui'ii  lianishi'd  iVmn  a  poiiil.  no 
otiur  s|)i'(  ii's  (  an  l>t'  i-xpi'ilrd  to  tlirivr.  In  liir  da\s  ot*  tlu-  int'aiK  \  ot' 
lisji  (  ullnrr.  I'dxi'  and  l'i(  ki-ri'l  wrrr  tVripuiith  transplanti'd  into  our 
w  itris.  and  thi'  rrsiilts  of"  this  ill  ad\  isrd  i.'ntfr]irisi'  arr  li\  no  uumiis 
satisl'ai  torv  to  thosi- who  drsiii'  to  propa^atr  carp  or  trmit  in  thr  satuf 
aiiM.  (>idv  a  tVw  ot' tlu'so  l"ish  (an  \'\w  in  onr  poml.  and  in  tiu'  rnd  tin.' 
(  olonv  t onsists  ot"  a  tVw  patrian  hs.  stroiiL;.  larm'  and  \ora(  ious. 

Tlu-  I'iki-  is  not  withntit  its  nsi's  in  t"ish  (  nhuri'  howcx  (.r.  <  Mir  or  two. 
ki'pt  in  a  iiond,  aw  ludii'vi'd  bv  (lonnan  <  arji  Itri'i'dt'rs  to  liciU'lU  tin.'  (  arj). 
li\   •■  ki'i'ping  thi'in  lixily."  and  thinning  out  tlu'  frrlik'. 

Tlu'  i'!U'inii.'s  ot'  I'lsos  in  Amrrica  dfUouiK  o  him  \  ij,M'fouslv,  and  dci  larc 
that  lu-  is  liony.  tlavorK'ss,  and  ot"  trill ini,'  \aiui.'.  llo  has  his  t"ri(.'nds  how- 
I'wr.  In  t!u'  roiun  of"  I'.dward  I.,  tho  \altK'  ot"  I'ikc  was  hijihor  than  that 
ot"  t"ri'sh  salmon,  and  more  than   ti.'n   time's  j^rt-'atcr  than   that   of  tlu-  best 

Turbot  or  {{hI,  and  in  tlu'  tinu'  of  1  k'liry  \'1 1 1,  a  larut'  one  sold  for  iloulilc 
tin.'  price  of  a  lamb,  and  a  Pickerel  for  more  than  a  fat  capon.  'roui,di 
old  Pike,  and  those  taken  t'rom  muddy,  sluguish  water,  are  of  course  not  [o 
be  desired,  but  as  a  rule,  any  one  oi'  the  American  speiies  is  to  be  (  hosen 
as  a  delicate  morsel  t"or  the   table. 

••  Roast  him  when  he  is  caui,dit."  saiil  Isaac  ^^'alton.  "  and  he  is 
choicely  liood — too  got)d  for  any  but  anglers  and  honest  men." 


■st 


«ll 


TIIK  T.VITdli 


TAUTOG.  CHOGSET  AND  PARROT-MSH. 


While  l)l.i/iii.L;  ItimsI  df  Imnimini^-biri!  aiul  lo's  stifTeiiM  win.; 

Arc  liri^lit  as  wlioti  tlicy  first  came  fnrth  iicw-paliituil  in  thi;  spriiiK. 

Willie  specklcil  snake  and  spotted  pard  their  markiiii;s  still  di-play, 

'I'luMiuli  lie  who  cmce  enili.ilm'd  them  hoth  himself,  he  tiirn'd  to  cl.iy, 

On  lisli  a  diflVreiU  fite  atlciuls,  nor  re.uh  tliej  loii^'  the  shore 

Kre  fide  their  hues  like  raiii-h.nv  tints,  and  soon  their  hcaulv's  o'er. 

'I'he  eye  that  late  in  I'lean's  llood  was  lart;e  and  round  and  full, 

lleconies  on  lanil  a  sunken  tirh,  glaucomatous  and  dull  ; 

The  gills,  like  mushrooms,  soon  begin  to  turn  from  pink  to  hlatk, 

The  blood  congeals  in  stasis  thick,  the  scales  upturn  and  crack  ; 

And  those  fiir  forms,  a  Veronese,  in  art's  meridian  power, 

With  every  varied  tint  at  hand,  and  in  his  happiest  hour, 

Coiijil  ne'er  in  equal  beauty  deck  and  bid  the  canvas  live. 

Arc  iiuw'  su  culourlcss  und  culd,  a  KcnibranUt's  tuucluuight  give. 

Uauham. 


'  I  "TIE  Wrasses  and  rarrot-fishcs,  are  among  the  most  gorgeously 
ai)parelle(l  of  tlie  inhabitants  of  the  waters.  Nature  has  not  confL'rred 
on  the  Labri,  said  Lact!'pede,  either  strength  or  power,  but  they  liave 
received  instead,  as  their  share  of  her  fiivors,  shapely  i)roportions,  and 
activity  of  fin,  and  are  adorned  with  all  the  hues  of  the  rainbow.  "  Le  feu 
du  dianiant,  du  rubis,  de  la  toi)az,  de  I'emeraude,  du  saphir,  de  I'ami/thystes 
du  grenat,  scintille  sur  leurs  ecailles  polies,  il  brille  sur  leur  surface  en 
goutte,  croissans,  en  raies,  en  bandes,  en  anneaux,  en  ceintures,  en  zones, 
en  ondes  ;  il  se  mtJle  i\  I'ljclat  de  Tor  et  de  I'argent,  (jui  y  res])lendit  sur 
des  grandes  places,  les  teintes  obscure,  les  aires  pales,  et  pour  ainsi 
docolorees. ' ' 


288 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\\ 


Tlicsc  fishes  were  held  in  the  higliest  esteem  ;n  classical  days,  for  num- 
erous spec  ies  of  the  group  fretpient  the  waters  of  Italy  and  (Ireeee. 

••  Atcording  to  tlie  (Ireeks,"  writes  Uadham,  •  to  do  justice  to  their 
llesh  was  not  easy,  to  speak  of  their  trail  as  it  deserved  was  imjiossi- 
l)le.  and  to  throw  away  even  its  excrement  was  a  sin.  The  frugal  Xunia 
would  ncjt  allow  these  expensive  '  brains  of  Jove  '  {^Ccrcbniiii  Jovis  Siiprcmi 
was  a  poetic  name  for  the  Scarus)  to  be  imi)orted  for  public  entertainments, 
intimating  therel)y  that  parsimony  was  agreeable  to  the  gods." 

Aristotle  considered  the  Scarus  to  be  the  only  fish  which  slept  at  night. 

'■Scarus  aU)iie  their  folded  eyelids  close 
In  grateful  intervals  of  soft  repose 
\\\  some  seiiuestered  cell,  removed  from  sij^ht 
They  doze  away  tlie  dangers  of  the  niglit." 

This  ancient  and  aristocratic  family  is  rather  tropical  in  its  tastes,  but  we 
ha\e  two  worthy  though  not  very  highly  appreciateil  representatives  on  our 
Eastern  Atlantic  coast,  and  others  in  our  (lulf  and  Pacific  waters. 

One  of  tiie  best  known  shore  species  on  our  Atlantic  coast,  is  the 
Tautog  or  I'lack-fish,  TaittOi::;a  oiiitis.  This  fish  is  now  found  in  greater 
or  less  abundance  about  St.  John.  N.  13.,  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  Mast  of 
jNew  York  it  is  usually  called  Tautog.  a  name  of  Indian  origin,  which  first 
occurs  in  Roger  William's  "  Key  to  American  Language."  jirinted  in 
1643.  in  which  this  tlsh  is  enumerated  among  the  edible  species  of  Soutiiern 
New  I'higland.  "Tautog"  would  consecpiently  seem  to  be  a  word  from 
the  dialect  of  the  Xarragansett  Indians.  On  the  coast  of  New  York  it  is 
called  ••  lllack-fish  " ;  in  >.'ew  Jersey  also  "  Ulack-fish "  and  "Smocth 
I'.lack-fish."  "  Tautog."  or  "("hub";  on  tlie  eastern  shore  of  Virginia 
"Moll."  or  "  Will-Oeorge  ":  at  the  moutii  of  the  Chesapeake  "Salt- 
water '^'hub."  and  in  North  Carolina  the  "Oyster-fish."  Of  all  these 
names,  Tautog  is  by  tar  the  most  desirable  for  general  use.  There  are 
several  other  sj)ecies  along  our  coast  called  Black-fish,  esjjecially  the  sea- 
bass,  which  is  often  associated  with  the  Tautog.  The  names  Oyster-fish 
and  Chub  are  also  pre-engaged  by  other  species. 

Tiiough  the  present  geographical  distribution  of  the  Tautog  is  well 
understood,  there  is  no  reason  to  belie\e  that  its  range  has  been  very 
considerably  extended  in  the  present  c:entury  by  the  agency  of  man. 
That  the  species  was  known  in  Rhode  Island  two  hundred  and  thirty 
years  ago  is  reasonably  certain   tVom  the  reference  by   Rcjger  Williams, 


TAUrOG,  CHOGSKT  AXD  PARROT-FISIf. 


289 


already  referred  to,  and  in  1776  it  was  stated  by  SclKcpf  tliat  it  was  \ery 
al)undant  in  summer  at  New  X'ork.  It  is  in  greatest  almndant  e  between 
the  southern  anL,de  of  Cape  Cod  and  the  Capes  of  Delaware,  whi<  h  would 
inilicate  that  within  these  limits,  at  least,  the  species  has  always  existed. 
The  waters  of  l.onij  Island  Sound  and  those  immediately  adjoiniui;  seem 
especially  well  ada])ted  tor  its  residence. 

Mitchill,  writiuij^  in  1X14,  remarked  :  •• 'i'he  Tautoi,^  was  not  ori^jinallv 
known  in  Massachusetts  Hay  ;  but  within  a  few  \ears  he  has  been  <  arritd 
beyond  Cai)e  Cod.  anil  has  multiplied  so  abundantly  that  the  lioston  mar- 
ket has  now  a  full  sup|)ly  without  the  necessity  of  importin^,^  from  Newport 
and  i*ro\  iilcnce."  This  statement  is  contlrmed,  in  a  wa\',  by  Mr.  Isaac- 
Hinklev.  of  Philadelphia,  who  tells  me  that  in  1S24,  he  saw  se\eral  indi 
viduals  from  Cohasset  Rocks.  Jerusalem  Road.  Mass.,  and  that  the  fish  was 
at  that  time  said  by  the  fishermen  to  be  entirelv  new  to  them.  StcM'er. 
writin.!^  about  1S67.  remarked:  •'Althougli  a  few  \ears  onlv  has  ])assed 
sint  e  liiis  species  was  broui;ht  into  Massac  husetts  I!ay,  it  is  now  taken 
aloni;  a  large  |)ortion  of  the  coast.  At  IMymouth,  Xahant,  and  J,ynn,  at 
some  seasons,  it  is  found  in  c(;nsiderable  nund)ers,  and  is  frequently  caught 
from  the  bridges  leading  from  Roston.  The  Roston  market  is  for  the  most 
]iart  su])plied  bv  I'hniouth  and  Welltleet."  As  early  as  1S51.  tliev  had 
spread  northward  to  the  Ikiy  of  Fundy,  and  in  that  \ear  it  is  stated  that 
many  were  sold  in  the  fish  market  at  St.  John,  the  largest  of  which  weiglu'd 
eight  'pounds  :  Mr.  Ranman  wrote  that  he  obtained  there  in  July  and 
August    specimens  nineteen  inches  long,  and  weighing  four  pounds. 

The  rockv  shores  of  Cape  Ann  seen)  particularly  well  adapted  to  its 
]ieculiar  habits,  and  large  numbers  are  annually  obtained  from  the  Ro<  ks. 
So  long  has  it  been  acclimated,  and  so  well  known  is  it.  that  the  local 
authorities  of  that  regicjn  are  inclined  to  doubt  that  it  is  notnatixe.  The 
•'Cdoucester  Telegra[)h  "  of  May  5.  1S60,  challenged  the  statement 
that  the  Tautog  was  a  new  l"ish,  declaring  that  many  years  ago  they  were 
very  ])len!v.  and  that  after  a  period  of  scarcity  they  reapjieared.  So 
al)und"ant  had  they  become  in  1S36  in  the  harbor  of  \\'elllleet,  Mass.,  that 
three  Coi,inecticut  smacks  were  accustomed  summer  after  summer  to  devote 
their  entire  energies  to  their  capture  in  this  locality,  and  this  fishery  has 
continued  up  to  the  present  day.  In  sandy  localities,  like  the  harbcjr  of 
Provincetown.  they  have  never  secured  a  firm  hold,  though  large  specimens 
are  sometimes  taken  under  the  wharves. 


19 


290 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


i;  i.  r 


As  to  the  extension  of  the  range  of  this  species  southward,  wo  have  the 
statement  of  Holl)rook,  quoted  by  DeKay,  writing  in  1S42  :  '•  Attempts 
have  l)een  made  to  introduce  this  fish  farther  south,  but  with  limited  suc- 
cess. I  am  informed  by  my  friend.  Dr.  Holbrook,  tliat  (len.  Thomas 
Pinckney  imported  from  Rhode  Island  a  smack  load  of  the  Tautog  and  set 
them  adrift  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  where  they  are  to  be  found 
to  this  day.  They  are  still  occasionally  caught,  weighing  from  one  to  two 
pounds,  but  never  in  such  quantities  as  to  be  brought  to  market."  Mr. 
Karll  obtained  specimens  at  Charleston  in  January,  18.S0.  Certain  ich- 
thyologists, among  whom  is  Prof.  Jordan,  express  skepticism  as  to  the 
ranse  having  been  thus  artificially  extended  southward. 

At  Cape  Lookout,  S.  C,  Jordan  records  the  species,  under  the  name 
"Oyster-fish,"  as  rather  common,  the  young  abuiKiant  about  the  wliarves. 
About  Norfolk  and  in  the  mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay  they  occur,  and  also 
on  the  coast  of  Southern  Xew  Jersey,  where  they  are  taken  in  the  vicinity 
of  Beasley's  Point,  in  the  c;hannel  ways,  and  along  the  shores,  and  they 
are  said  to  be  somewhat  common  on  the  banks  off  Sandy  Hook,  ami  in  the 
southern  bays  of  Long  Island.  These  sandy  regions,  however,  are  not  so 
much  frequented  by  them  as  those  abounding  in  rocky  beaches  and  ledges. 

Although  the  Tautog  apjiear  to  thrive  in  cool  water,  as  has  been  shown 
by  the  rapid  extension  of  the  northern  range,  they  take  refuge  from  too 
great  cold,  by  retreating  in  winter  to  somewhat  deeper  water  than  that 
preferred  in  summer.  Here  they  appear  to  seek  shelter  under  the  stones 
and  in  crevices  of  the  rocks,  if  we  may  judge  from  their  habits  as  observed 
in  aquaria,  their  smooth,  slimy  skins,  with  scales  protected  from  abrasion 
by  a  thick  epidermis,  enabling  them  to  move  about  among  the  sharp- 
pointed  rocks  unharmed.  They  are  on  this  account,  also,  especially  well 
suited  for  confinement  in  the  walls  of  smacks  and  in  '•  live-cars."  where 
it  is  customary  to  keep  them  living  until  retiuired  for  market.  They 
a])pear  to  enter  upon  an  actual  state  of  hibernation,  ceasing  to  feed,  and 
the  vital  functions  partially  suspended.  It  is  the  opinion  of  fishermen  that 
during  the  hibernating  season,  the  vent  becomes  entirely  closed  up.  as  is 
known  to  be  the  case  with  hibernating  mammals.  It  is  certain  that  they 
do  not  retreat  far  from  the  shore  in  winter,  and  that  very  cold  weather, 
especially  in  connection  with  a  run  of  low  titles,  often  causes  very 
remarkable  fatalities.  There  are  instances  of  their  death  in  immense 
numbers.      In  February,  1857,  after  a  very  cold  season,  hundreds  of  tons 


TAUTOG,  ClIOGSET  AXD  PAKROT-FISII. 


291 


drifted  upon  the  beach  at  IJUx  k  Island,  and  alonL,^  the  southern   shores  of 
Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Ishind,  and  a  siniihir  (  atastrophc  took  jihu  e 


in 


1841, 


M 


irc 


'/3 


i.Stt,  It   IS  stated   that  as   niu(  h   as  a  ton    was   thrown 

en  lloatiuL;-  In-  the  1  leii 


ashore  in  the  drift  ice  at  C"ult\hunk.  'I'hev  were 
and  Chickens  light-sliip  for  three  successi\e  (hiys.  In  Southern  New 
England  they  l)ecome  torpid  in  November  and  December.  It  is  stated 
that  they  arc  sometimes  caught   as  late  as  Christmas.      It  is  prdbable  iliat 


man 


y  do  not  enter  upon  a  state  of  complete  torpidity,  but  r 


eUKnn  in  a  iiar 


tially  active  state  in  deep  holes  not  far  from  the  shore,  and  that  it  is  these. 
rather  than  the  hibernating  individuals,  which  are  espe(  iall\-  liable  to 
injury  from  the  cold.  A  few  are  taken  in  Rhode  Island  in  midwinter. 
both  by  line  and  in  lol)ster-])Ots.  Xo'lh  of  Cape  Cod  they  are  rarely 
taken  except  in  summer.*  while  towartls  the  southern  limit  of  their  range 
they  are  apparently  as  abundant  in  winter  as  at  any  other  time.  Mr. 
Nathan  King,  a  Rhode  Island  fisherman,  states  that  when  the  sun  i:^  \erv 
hot  the  I'autog  leaves  the  clear  spots  for  shelter  among  the  weeds  and 
rocks. 

As  mav  be  inferred  from  its  haunts  and  from  the  character  of  its  strong. 
sharp  teeth,  the  food  of  this  consists  of  the  hard-shelled  molltisks  and 
crustat:eans  which  are  so  abundant  among  the  roc  k 


In   tl 


leir  stomachs 


have  been  found,  among  other  things,  lobsters,  crabs  of  ^•arious  species. 
clams,  mollusks,  sipiids.  scollojjs,  barnacles,  and  sand-dollars.  Man\-  of 
the  smaller  mollusks  they  swallow,  shells  and  all,  ejecting  the  hard  jiarts 
after  the  flesh  has  been  digested.  The  comnn)n  bait  for  Tautog  in  the 
spring  is  the  clam,  preferably  the  soft  clam,  for  at  this  time  the  lishermen 


In  the   tall,   crabs   and   lobsters   are  i 


ised 


say  they  have  tender  mouth:- 

the  fiddler-crab  and  rock-crab  being  the   favorites.      They  are  sometimes 

taken  with  a  bait  of  marine  worms. 

In  Narragansett  l>ay   and   vicinity   they  spawn   from   the    end  of  .\iiiil 
until  August. 


The  pound  fishermen  find  them  to  be  full  of  ripe  eggs  when   they  1 


HIJlh 


to  a})proach  the  shore  in  early  summer.  Mr.  Christopher  V..  Dyer,  of  New 
Bedford,  has  witnessed  the  operation  of  spawning  in  Ru/./.aid's  bay  in  the 
mil 

](S6o,  about  two  miles  east  of  Seconnet  l\)int.      'I'he  numb'T  of  eggs  has 
t  yet  been  determined,  nor  is  it  known  how  long  the  period  of  iiu  uba- 


Idleof  June,  in  water  alK)Ut  two  fathoms  deep.      This  was   in    1S59   or 


no 


*The  first  uf  the  season  were  taken  at  (jloucester,  May  13,  iSSi. 


1 


292 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


H   {  !! 


tion  continues,  but  yoinig  fish  are  found  abundantly  in  the  eel-grass  along 
the  shore  in  August  and   September,    and  have  been  observed  at  various 
points   from    C!ape   Lookout   to   Monomoy.      There  can   be  no  (juestion, 
however,  that  there   are  breeding  grounds  near   Charleston,    S.    C,   and 
north  to  Cape  Cod,  since  the  sj)ecies  is  very  local  in  its  habits,    and  does 
not  make  long  journeys  to  select  spawning  beds.      Little  is  known  of  their 
rate  of  growth,  though  it  is  probably  slow.      Capt.  Benjamin  lOdwards,   of 
Woods    Holl,  .\[ass.,  kept  thousands  of  small  Tautog  confined  in  a   pond 
for  five  years,   and  at  the  end  of  tluit  time,   when   six   years   old,    none 
•weighed  more  than  two  and  onedialf  pounds.     A  half-pounil  fish  which  he 
confined  in   a    lobster-car,    with    plenty   of  room    and    i)lenty    of    food, 
increased  from  one-half  to  three-cpiarters  of  a  poimd  in  six  months.      The 
average  Aveight   of  those  sent   to   market  does  not   exceed   two   or  three 
pounds,  though  individuals  weighing  ten,  twelve,  and  fourteen  pounds  arc 
bv   no   means  unusual.      The  largest  on   record  was  obtained  near   New 
York  in  July,  1S76,  and  is  preserved  in  the  National  Museum — its  length 
thirty-six  and  one-half  inches,  its  weiglit  twenty-two  and  one-half  ])ounds. 
The  abundance  of  this  species  past   and  present  has  been  actively  dis- 
cussed and  much  interesting  testimony  on  the  subject  may  be  found  in  the 
report  of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  fisheries.      Tliis  was  one  ai 
the  fish  regarding  which  the  claim  was  made  that  it  has  been  almost  exter- 
minated in  Rhode  Island  by  overfishing  ;   upon   this  point,    however,    the 
opinions  of  fishermen  and  experts  are  much  at  variance.      Tn   1S70,  when, 
according  to  general  opinion,  Tautog  had  been  almost  exterminated  in  the 
waters  of  Narragansett  Bay,  the  records  of  Newport  fish-markets  show  that 
in  one  day,  November  2,  eleven  men  caught  about  3,000  pounds  of  Tau- 
tog with  hook  and  line,  l)esides  cod  and  other  fish,  while  on  the  following 
day  the  catch  of  fifteen  meen  was  28.000  pounds,   besides  codfish  caught 
to  the  amount  of  600  ])ounds,  being  an  average   of  over   2,600   pounds  to 
each  man.     These  catches  compare  very  fa\oral)ly  with   that  recorded   at 
Fir   Rock  Ledge,   Wareham,    ten    years   previous,    when,    on   the   9th    of 
Octol)er,  two  men  caught,  in  three  hours,  271  poirnds  of  Tautog,   a  catch 
which  was  pronounced  by  local  authorities  the  greatest  ever  made  in  those 
waters.*       Col.    Lyman,    I\Lissachusetts   commissioner,   writing   in   1872, 
remarked  :     "  Great   complaint   is   made   of  the  scarcity   of  this   valued 
species  north  and  south  of  Ca])e   Cod,    but  especially   near  the  mouth  of 


; 


% 


♦Barnstable  Patriot,  October 9, 1S60. 


t    -I 


TA  UTOG,  CHOOSE  T  A  AD  J\IRR  O  T-  FISH. 


'03 


Narra.i^'ansL'tt  Ikiy,  where  tlicy  arc  said  tn  be  not  niDrc  than  onc-t'ii,dith  as 
mnnerous  as  tlicy  were  a  score  of  vears  a^o."  Although  niiuh  testinionv 
lias  been  jjrinted  in  tlie  reports  ot"  the  I'ish  Coinniissions  of  the  United 
States  and  of  Rhode  Island,  the  i^eneral  tendency  of  which  is  to  show  that 
old  fishermen  believe  that  'I'auloL,^  and  other  fish  are  much  less  abundant 
than  in  the  clays  of  their  youth,  noliiin^^  definite  has  yet  been  proved. 

The  Tautog  has  always  been  a  taxoritc  table  fish,  especially  in  New 
York,  its  llesh  beini^  white,  dry,  and  of  a  tlelicate  llavor.  Storcr  states 
that  they  are  frecjuently  jiickled,  and  may  be  kept  in  weak  brine  tor  a  long 
time,  and  in  this  state  they  are  considered  by  epicures  a  delicacv. 

The  capture  of  Tautog  is  chiellv  accomplished  by  the  line  fishermen  of 
Southern  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island,  and  the  weir  fishermen  of  the 
same  district.  No  one  fishes  for  Tautog  alone,  and  it  is  conse(]uently 
more  difticult  to  estimate  theciuantity  taken.  About  200,000  pounds  were 
brought  to  the  New  York  market  last  year.  Local  consumption  is  ton- 
siderable,  and  the  total  amount  annually  taken  may  be  estimated  at  from 
400,000  to  450,000  j)ounils.  At  least  two  hundred  fishermen  are  entirely 
or  partly  cngageil  in  this  business  between  ("ape  Cod  and  New  York. 
The  catch  of  such  fishermen  in  Narragansett  IJay  is  estimated  at  6,000 
pounds  each  annually.  This  gives  in  round  numbers  100,000  pounds 
taken  by  hook  and  line  along  this  stretc  h  of  coast.  To  this  should  be 
added  20,000  pounds  estimated  to  be  taken  on  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  and 
southward,  and  20,000  more  north  of  Cape  Ct)d.  Tautog  are  also  fre- 
quently taken  in  the  weirs  and  pounds,  and  the  catch  of  these  for  the  year 
1S76  was  estimated  as  is  shown  in  the  following  table  : 

I'omuK. 

Weirs  on  north  side  of  Cape  Cod -'274 

Weirs  on  south  side  of  Cape  Cod 561 

Weirs  in  Vineyard  Sound ::9,22o 

A\'eirs  in  Buzzard's  Bay ,:;9.423 

Weirs  in  Narragansett  Bay 156,750 

Weirs  on  Block  Island ,i3>i53 

Weirs  in  Fisher's  Island  Sound 14.000 

\Veirs  on  eastern  end  of  Long  Island 36.000 

3ii'3''^i 
At   Noank,    Conn.,    there    is  in  the  fall  a  season   of  "black-fishing" 
which  continues  from  the  middle  of  October  until  the  snow  begins  to  fall, 


294 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


W 


al)out  tlic  first  of  Dcceml)cr.  Al)oiit  twcnty-fivo  men  are  engaged  in  this 
fishery  lUiring  the  season  specified,  some  of  wliom  begin  a  month  or  two 
earlier.  Tliev  fisli  in  Fisher's  Ishind  Sound  at  a  depth  of  six  to  eight 
fatlioms,  using  crabs  and  k)bsters  for  l)ait.  The  average  catch  of  each 
man  for  the  season  is  estimated  by  Capt.  Ashby  at  one  thousand  jjounds. 
The  most  nortlierly  point  where  there  is  a  regular  fishery  for  them  is,  as 
has  already  been  mentioned,  in  Wellfieet  harbor.  According  to  DeKay, 
three  smacks  were  constantly  emjjloyed  from  .\pril  to  November.  These 
smacks  doubtless,  then  as  now,  hailed  from  Connecticut.  In  1879,  these 
vessels  were  still  upon  the  old  ground,  one  of  them  hailing  from  West|)ort 
and  one  or  two  from  New  London.  One  of  the  skippers  was  said  to  have 
fished  upon  this  ground  every  season  for  thirty  years.  I  was  told  in  Well- 
fleet  that  they  ordinarily  remained  about  three  weeks  to  fill  their  wells, 
obtaining  in  that  time  from  two  to  four  thousand  jiounds. 

Angling  for  Tautog  from  rocks  is  a  favorite  pursuit  of  amateur  fishermen 
all  along  the  coast,  particularly  about  New  York,  where  there  are  pre- 
cipitous shores,  the  anglers  standing  upon  the  rocks.  July  12,  1879,  Capt. 
S.  J.  Martin  caught  in  this  way,  at  Eastern  Point,  Gloucester,  seven,  two 
of  which  weighed  twenty-one  and  a  half  pounds.  In  Long  Island  Sound 
and  other  protected  waters  they  are  usually  fished  for  from  boats  anchored 
among  the  reefs  or  near  wrecked  vessels.  Mitchill,  writing  in  1814, 
describes  the  methods  of  this  fishery  better  than  any  other  subsecjuent 
authority  :  "  Rocky  shores  and  bottoms  are  the  haunts  of  Blackfish.  Long 
experience  is  recpiired  to  find  all  these  places  of  resort.  Nice  observations 
on  the  landmarks  in  different  directions  are  requisite  to  enable  a  fishing 
party  to  anchor  on  the  proper  spot.  For  exanii)le,  when  a  certain  rock 
and  tree  range  one  way,  with  a  barn  window  appearing  over  a  headland 
the  other  way,  the  boat  lying  at  the  point  where  two  such  lines  intersect 
each  other,  is  exactly  over  some  famous  rendezvous.  At  some  places 
lilackfish  bite  best  upon  the  flood.  In  others  they  are  voracious 
during  the  ebb.  Thunder  accompanying  a  shower  is  an  indication  that  no 
more  of  them  can  be  caught.  The  appearance  of  a  porpoise  infallibly 
puts  an  end  to  the  sport.  Dull  weather  with  an  easterly  wind  is  ge  icraiiy 
the  omen  of  ill  luck.  Some  persons  who  live  contiguous  to  the  shores 
where  are  situated  the  rocks  which  are  freciuented  by  Tautog,  invite 
the  fish  there  by  baiting.  By  this  is  meant  the  throwing  overboard 
broken  clams  or  crabs  to  induce  the  Blackfish  to  renew  their  visits  ;  and 
fine  sport  is  procured." 


TAUTOG,  CJIOGSKT  AXD  PARROT- F/sn, 


^95 


Mitchill  also  gives  an  interesting  hit  of  folk  k)re  in  the  following 
account  of  the  botanical  mncnonicsof  the  fishermen  in  the  vi(  init)-  of  New- 
York  : 

"  The  blossoming  of  the  dogwood,  Cormis  jJorida.  early  in  April  is 
imderstood  to  denote  tiie  time  of  catching  bla<  k-fish.  As  soon  as  these 
llowers  unfold,  the  fishermen  pnx  eed  with  their  hooks  and  lines  to  the 
favorite  places.  If  there  is  no  <logwood.  a  judgment  is  derived  from  the 
vegetation  of  the  ciiesniit  tree,  Castanca  i-csca.  'Hie  peojjle  express  this 
sentiment  in  these  coarse  rhymes  : 

"  Wiien  chesnut  leaves  are  as  big  as  thumb-nails 
Then  bite  l)lack-tish  withoiU  tail, 
lUit  when  cliesnut  leaves  are  as  large  as  a  span, 
Then  catch  black-fish  if  you  can  ?  " 

As  has  been  already  stated,  the  Tautog  on  tlie  coasts  of  the  I'nited 
States  is  extremely  sensitive  to  cold,  and  at  the  apjiroach  of  the  time  of 
hibernation,  the  vent  becomes  sealed,  the  fish  thus  becoming  prepared  for 
a  minimum  consumption  of  its  own  fat  during  its  winter  sleep. 

In  Brown's  "American  Angler's  Guide,"  in  the  article  on  Tautog  or 
Black-fish  it  is  remarked  : 

"  The  Black-fish  abounds  in  the  vicinity  of  I-ong  Island,  and  is  a  sta- 
tionary inhabitant  of  the  saltwater.  He  may  be  ke])t  for  a  long  time  in 
jxjnds  or  cars,  and  even  fatted  there.  When  the  cold  of  winter  benumbs 
him  he  refuses  to  eat  any  more,  and  a  membrane  is  obser\ed  to  form  over 
the  vent  and  close  it.  He  begins  to  regain  appetite  with  the  return  of 
warmth  in  the  spring. 

"  Now  we  know  that  Tautog  hibernate  among  rocks  near  the  coast  and 
in  our  rivers,  and  it  has  been  stated  by  Mr.  L.  Tallman  or  Mr.  Daniel 
Church,  that  some  years  ago,  after  a  very  cold  snap,  not  only  many  Tau- 
tog were  washed  ashore  fro/en  stiff,  but  afterward  (piantities  were  also 
found  dead  among  rocks  off  the  coast.  If,  during  the  winter,  they  don't 
feed  as  stated  above,  and  this  membrane  ch)ses  them  up,  the  conclusion 
must  be  that  they  remain  in  a  state  of  torpor  or  sleep  during  cold  weather. 
Now  it  happens  that  the  scup,  when  first  taken  by  traps,  are  in  a  state  of 
torpor;  they  neither  eat  nor  have  any  passage.  It  is  probably  sealed  up 
like  the  Tautog,  and  nothing  in  the  shape  of  food  is  to  be  tound  within 
them.  Some  say  they  are  blind,  and  they  seem  hardly  able  or  willing 
to  move. 

''  The  inference,  then  is,  that  the  s(  up  have  also  been  hibernating  within 
a  short  distance  from  the  coast,  in  the  same  state  as  the  Tautog.  This 
would  account  for  the  strav  scup  mentioned  by  Mr.  Southwick  as  having 
been  occasionally  found  in  March.     A  warm  day  wakes  him  up,  and  he 


296 


AMERICAN  riSHRS. 


visits  the  shore  for  a  (hiy  or  so  ami  tlien  returns.  To  my  mind  this  is  a 
more  reasonable  way  of  a(  counting  for  his  lircscnce  than  to  assume  that  he 
has  been  left  liehind.  If  these  facts  are  as  stated,  it  is  to  be  presumed 
that  scup  are  local  fish,  and  do  not  have  their  localities  any  more  than 
Tautog,  about  the  propriety  of  classification  of  which  as  a  local  fish  there 
is  no  question." 


THE  CHOGSET. 


The  Chogset,  or  Gunner,  or  Bergall,  Ctciwlabrus  adspcrsus,  is  very  simi- 
lar in  appearance  to  the  Tautog,  though  much  smaller  and  far  less 
important.  Its  range  is  more  northerly.  I  can  find  no  record  of  its 
occurrence  south  of  New  Jersey.  DeKay  remarks  :  "I  am  not  aware  that 
it  is  found  south  of  Delaware  Bay."  From  New  York  to  the  Straits  of 
Canso  the  sjx^cies  is  exceedingly  auundant,  being  found  everywhere  in 
harbors  and  bays,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  fish  houses,  where  offal  is 
thrown  overboard.  Cuvier  had  sp>ecimens  from  Newfoundland,  but  it 
abounds  on  the  coast  of  Labrador.  It  is  closely  related  to  the  "  Clold- 
sinny,"  Ctcnolabnts  rupcstris,  and  the  "Connor"  or  "Gilt-head," 
Crciiilabrus  iiiclops,  of  Great  Britain  and  adjoining  Europe.  It  has 
numerous  conmon  names.  In  Southern  New  England  it  is  called  "  Chog- 
set," a  name  of  Indian  origin,  sometimes  pronounced  Cachogset.  This 
name  appears  to  have  been  in  occasional  use  as  far  west  as  New  York, 
where,  in  Mitchill's  time,  it  was  also  called  "  Bluefish."  In  Maine,  the 
British  Provinces,  and  in  some  parts  of  Massachusetts  the  name  "  Cunner  " 
is  in  use,  evidently  having  been  brought  over  by  the  English  colonists 
who  remembered  a  very  similar  fish  at  home  which  has  this  name.  In 
New  York,  the  name   "  Burgall  "    has  continued   in  use  since  the  revo- 


J 


TA  UTOG,  CirOGSE  T    LVD  P.  I  A'  A'  ( )  T- 1- 1  SIT. 


297 


lutionarv  ti 


UK'S. 


Ills  11a 


mc  also  is  of  IjiLrlish  origin,   ((.'rtain  siiccics  of 


this  family  being  calk'd  '•  IJcrgylt  "  in  parts  of  I'.iiuland."  This  name 
apjK'ars  to  hold  in  Eastern  Lonj;  Island  at  the  jircscnt  time.  At  I'rinince- 
town     they    are    called    "  Sea-pcrc  h,"    an( 


1    at    the    isk 


SI 


10a  Is 


and 


occasionally  on  the  adjoinini,'  mainland.    ••  lilue-pen  h  ' '    and   ••  I'erch," 
this  also  being  a  reminiscence  of  ]'".nglish  usage.      At  Salem  they  are  called 


Ni 


1  liners. 


and  occasionallv  here  and   elsewhert 


]!ait-stealen 


AI 


lOUt 


A\ 


here  C'lmners  are   founil    at    all.    thev    are   exceedingly    abundant. 


and 


though  performing  a  useful  duty  as  scavengers,  are  a  pest  of  fi>hermen. 
from  their  habit  of  nibbling  the  bait  from  their  hooks.  They  are  the 
especial  detestation  of  those  who  fish  for  Tautog.  since  the  twn  species  are 
ordinarilv  found  touether.     Their  food  is  verv  similar  to  that  of 


ne 


:ui- 


'1' 

tog,  except  that  they  cannot  swallow  large  shells.      'J'liey  feed  also  upon 

dead  animal  matter,  and  are  among  the  most  important  s(  avengers  of  our 
harbors.  Numbers  of  them  may  be  taken  by  lowering  a  net  containing  a 
]iiece  of  meat  or  fish  and  cpiickly  raising  it  to  the  surface.  Like  the  'I'au- 
togs,  Cunners  are  local  in  their  habits,  only  moving  from  the  shoal  water 
in  extreme  cold  weather,  and.  though  adajjted  for  living  in  cokler  water. 
rarely  retreat  except  in  the  se\erest  weather.  In  winter,  howe\er,  they 
are  rarely  caught  with  the  hook.  The  first  of  the  season  of  18S1  at 
Ciloucester,  were  caught  May  8.  A  very  cold  season  sometimes  destroys 
them.  It  is  recorded  that  in  January,  1835,  great  cpiantities  were  frozen 
and  thrown  up  on  the  shore  between  (llouce^ter  and  Marblehead.*  In 
June  and  July  they  si)awn  on  their  feeding  grounds  in  ScMithern  New 
Mngland,  and  in  July  and  August  fish  three-cpiarters  of  an  inc  h.  or  more, 
in  length  are  taken  abundantly  along  the  shores.  They  a])pear  to  become 
adult  and  to  breed  when  three  inches  long.  The  largest  I  have  ol)ser\  ed 
was  taken  at  Woods  Holl,  in  July,  1875  ;  its  weight  was  twelve  ounces, 
its  length  ten  and  a  half  inches,  and  it  was  spawning  freely.  Storer 
claims  to  have  seen  them  fourteen  inches  long,  and  I  am  assured  that  they 
sometimes  attain  a  weight  of  two  pounds. 

From  Eastport,  Maine,  to  the  \  icinity  of  Boston,  the  Cunner  is  a  favorite 
article  of  food.  Elsewhere  it  is  rarely  eaten  ancl  is  usually  regarded  with 
disgust — a  foolish  prejudice,  for  it  is  one  of  the  most  agreeably  flavored 
among  the  small  fishes  on  our  coast.  Immense  cpiantities  are  taken  with 
the  hook  from  the  rocks,  bridges,  and  boats,  especially  in   the  ^•icinity  of 

*  Gloucester  Telegraph,  J;iiuiary  14,  1S35. 


!f)8 


,  IMERICAN  FISJfKS. 


lit 


<  itics  like  Boston  and  rortland.  They  arc  also  taken  in  immense 
(|uantities  in  nets.  The  Irish  market-boats  of  Boston  make  a  special 
business  of  catchin.i;  them,  using  circular  nets  three  or  four  feet  in  diameter 
whi(h  are  baited  and  set  among  the  rocks.  Dr.  Storer  records  that  on  the 
occasion  of  his  \isit  to  Labrador,  in  1849,  he  found  them  so  plentiful  in 
the  Out  of  C'anso,  that  by  sinking  a  basket  with  a  salt  fish  tied  therein  for 
bait,  he  continually  caught  them  by  the  score,  and  by  putting  a  few  hun- 
dreds in  the  well  of  his  sloop,  kept  tlie  crew  well  supitlied  with  fish  while 
at  sea  on  the  way  to  Labrador.  The  people  of  iS'oxa  Scotia,  like  those 
south  of  Cape  Cod,  rarely  if  ever  eat  the  Cunner.  Mr.  J.  >hitthew 
Jones  intorms  me  that  in  the  summer  of  iiSG^,  when  tiie  French  fleet  was 
anchored  in  LLdifax  ILirbor,  the  sailors  caught  them  for  food  in  gp'-'t 
nunibiTs.  About  St.  Margaret's  Bay,  according  to  Mr.  Ambrose,  they  are 
gi\en  as  food  to  pigs  ;  since,  however,  the  p(jrk  of  these  fish-ted  pigs 
abva\s  tastes  oily,  they  are  generally  fed  on  some  other  food  for  a  short 
time  before  being  killed,  and  well  dosed  Mith  sulphur.  It  was  formerly 
customary  in  Boston  to  keep  these  fish  alive  for  market  in  large  cars,  de- 
scribed by  Storer  as  three  feet  deep,  twelve  to  fifteen  feet  long,  closed 
beneath  and  latticed  at  the  sides,  and  anchored  in  deep  water.  Storer 
states  that  sometimes  as  many  as  five  thousand  fish  were  kv  .  in  a  single 
car.  and  that  these  cars  were  replenished  every  week  or  fortniglu.  It  is 
impossible  to  estimate  with  any  degree  of  accuracy  the;  (piantity  of  Cun- 
ners  annually  taken.  The  cat<;h  of  the  Irish  market-boats  of  Boston 
cannot  fall  much  short  of  300,000  pounds,  and  that  of  the  other  towns  and 
States  on  the  coast  of  New  England  is  certain  to  be  from  200,000  to 
250,000  pounds. 

Several  of  the  Parrot-fishes  occur  on  the  Florida  coast,  notably  the 
Blue  Barrot-fish,  Plafyglossus  radiatus  (Linn.)  (loode,  sometimes,  accord- 
ing to  Jcjrdan,  seen  in  Key  West  market,  and  P.  bivattafiis,  known  in 
Bermuda  as  "Slippery  Dick,"  recorded  by  Jordan  from  Charleston  mar- 
ket. They  are  gorgeous  in  color,  but  the  flesh  is  so  dry  that  they  are  held 
in  slight  esteem  for  table  use. 

The  Red-fish,  of  California,  Troiliocopiis  piilcJicr,  writes  Jordan,  is 
everywhere  known  as  the  "Red-fish":  the  name  "Fat-head"  is  occa- 
sionally used,  and  it  is  very  rarely  called  "  Sheepshead."  It  reaches  a 
weight  of  twelve  to  fifteen  pounds.  It  is  found  from  Point  Conception 
southward  to  Cerros  Island  in  enormous  numbers,  in  the  kelp.      It  is  taken 


I'ld 

is 
a- 
a 
■on 


TAUTOG.  CHOGSET  AND  PARROTFISH. 


299 


(  hicdy  with  liook  and  line.  It  fcL-ds  on  crustaceans  and  nioUtisks.  It  is 
taken  chielly  by  the  Chinese,  who  salt  and  dry  it.  It  forms  iudf  of  the 
total  catch  of  the  CMiinese  south  of  I'oint  Coiueiition.  It  does  not  rank 
high  as  food-fish,  its  tlesh  being  coarse.  Tlie  fat  forehead  is  said  to  make 
excellent  chowder. 

The  Senorita-fish,  of  Monterey,  Psciuiojiiiis  fnot/i's/us,  is  known  as 
"  Pescerey";  southward  it  is  called  "Senorita."  It  reaches  a  weight  of 
less  than  half  a  pound.  It  is  found  in  the  kelp  from  Monterey  southward 
to  Cerros  Island,  and  is  generally  common.  It  feeds  chielly  on  crusta- 
ceans, and  is  used,  as  a  rule,  only  for  bait,  although  the  llesh  is  said  to 
be  of  excellent  (piality. 

The  Kelp-fish,  of  California,  /Vir/yx/ossi/s  sn/iiiinifus,  bears  in  (ouij  any 
with  Ilcterosticlitis  rostatiis,  and  perhaps  others,  the  name  of  "  Kelp-fish." 
It  reaches  a  pound  in  weight,  and  a  length  of  nearly  a  foot.  It  is  found 
in  the  kelp  about  Santa  Catalina  Islanil  and  southward,  and  is  not  very 
abundant.  It  feeds  on  Crustacea,  and  spawns  in  July.  Its  flesh  is  said  to 
be  of  good  (pud ity. 

The  Hog-fish,  Lacliiiohcmus  fa/cafiis,  is,  according  to  Mr.  Stearns, 
abundant  at  Key  West  and  along  the  Florida  coral  reefs,  although  he  has 
not  observed  it  north  of  the  (lulf  of  Mexico.  It  there  attains  a  consider- 
able size,  and  a  weight  of  twelve  or  fifteen  pounds,  although  the  average 
fish  is  not  more  than  one-fourth  that  size.  In  the  Key  West  market  it 
ajijiears  almost  daily,  and  is  much  esteemed  for  food.  This  species  occurs 
throughout  the  West  Indies,  and  is  one  of  the  favorite  food-fishes  of  Cuba, 
although  its  sale  is  forbidden  by  law,  on  account  of  the  supposed  jioisonous 
nature  of  its  flesh.  In  the  Bermudas  it  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  the 
food-fishes,  attaining  sometimes  the  weight  of  twenty  pounds.  It  is  caught 
by  the  line  fishermen  among  the  reefs,  at  a  depth  of  five  to  forty  fathoms. 
Like  the  other  members  of  this  family,  it  feeds  ujion  small  fish,  and  upon 
bottom  crustaceans  and  mollusks.  Its  brilliant  red  color  render,  it  a  con- 
spicuous object  in  the  markets.  During  the  different  stages  of  growth  its 
species  undergoes  many  changes  of  form,  and  has  been  described  under 
several  different  names.  The  large  adult  male  is  remarkable  on  account 
of  a  heavy  black  blotch  over  the  forehead  and  over  the  eyes.  The  name 
"Hog-fish"  refers  to  the  swine-like  appearance  of  the  head,  jaws,  and 
teeth.  At  the  entrance  to  the  Cireat  Sound,  in  Bermuda,  is  a  reef  called 
Hog-fish  shoal,  which  is  surmounted  by  a  beacon  bearing  an  enormous 
effigy  of  a  Hog-fish  in  metal. 


30O 


//  M  ERICA  N  F J  SUES. 


,1  ;' 


A  raniily  rclati'd  to  tlie-  \\'rassL's  is  that  of  tlic  I  )cin()isi.llcs  or  Poinitiiii- 

Amon)^  tlic  R'L'fs  of  I'Morida  two  or  three  species  of  this  family  are  almnd- 
ant.  Most  prominent  amon^'  tiiemisthe  "Sergeant  Major,"  Glyf^hiJiuion 
.r(/.\(//'///.v  (L.)  C.  iV  \'.,  called  in  iJermiida  the  '•  t!o\v-|)il()t,"  from  an  al- 
le.ned  habit  of  lieini;  always  t'ound  in  the  society  of  the"  {^)\v  lish,"  or 
Ostracion.  'I'his  fish  sometimes  attains  the  length  of  ten  in(  lies  and  the 
weight  of  a  pound  or  so,  but  is  usually  of  a  smaller  size  and  is  not  highly 
esteemed  for  food.  It  is  founil  throughout  the  tropical  waters  of  the 
world. 

There  are  several  smaller  species  of  this  and  of  allied  genera  in  the  Oiilf 
of  Mexico,  and  on  the  western  side  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  in  the 
(lulf  of  California.  On  the  California  coast  occurs  a  species.  Poiiuwciitnts 
nihiciiiiJiis,  conspicuous  by  reason  of  its  uniformly  deep  crimson  or  orange 
coloration,  which  is  usually  known  as  the  "Garibaldi"  among  the 
Italians.  The  i,.imes  "Cold-fish"  and  "  \\^(\  Perch"  are  also  used,  all 
of  them  referring  to  its  brilliant  orange  colorations.  It  reaches  a  weight 
of  three  pounds,  and  a  length  of  less  than  a  foot.  It  is  found  about  the 
Santa  Barbara  Islands  and  .-louthward  to  I,ower  California.  It  lives  about 
rocky  places,  and  is  generally  abundant.  Its  food  is  chietly  crustac  cans. 
It  is  a  food-fish  of  low  grade,  and  has  little  economic  importance. 
Another  somewhat  noteworthy  species  is  known  in  California,  on  account 
of  its  dusky  colors,  as  the  "Blacksmith,"  C/iroinis  pinic/i/>iiiiiis.  Cooper. 

"  This  fish,"  writes  Jordan,  "  is  known  as  the  'Blacksmith'  from  its 
dusky  colors.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  about  two  pounds.  It  ranges  from 
the  Santa  Barbara  Islands  southward,  living  about  reefs  of  rock,  and  is 
Iccally  abundant.  It  feeds  on  shells  and  Crustacea.  It  is  considered  as 
indifferent  food." 

The  family  Cichlidic  is  large,  and  is  composed  chiefly  of  fresh-water 
fishes  occurring  in  the  tropical  parts  of  Africa  and  America.  Among  its 
members  is  a  South  American  species,  Gco^/iagiis  stii-iiiaiiicnsis,  which  is 
often  mentioned  by  writers  on  the  instincts  of  animals  on  account  of  a 
]K'culiar  habit  of  the  males  wliich  carry  in  their  mouths  the  eggs  until  they 
are  hatched,  and  which  are  even  said  to  allow  the  young  fish  to  seek  refuge 
within  their  jaws.  We  have  no  representatives  of  this  funnily  on  our  Atlan- 
tic coast,  though  one  or  two  species  of  the  genus  Jlcros  occur  in  the 
brackish  waters  of  Texas. 


m 


:r 

Its 

is 

a 

-y 

a- 


SCULPINS  AND  GURXARDS. 


N'liw  the  Sciilpiu  is  a  little  water  licast  wliicli  prctemis  to  cniisider  it^cll  a  iKIi.anil,  uiulertliat  prtte.vt.li :.n);H 
al)imt  the  piles  on  wliii :li  \Vi-.t  liii>tiiii  I'riclne  is  built,  swallnwiii);  the  hait  ami  liiink  iiiteiiileil  fur  llmiinlrrs. 
( )ii  l)elll^;  ilrawii  frniii  the  water,  it  exposes  an  iniiiieiise  head,  a  iliniinulivo  hniiy  eariass,  and  a  >nrfaiesii  Inll 
(if  spines,  ridijes,  rn  flies  and  frills  lh.it  I  lie  naturalists  have  not  lieen  able  tmniint  tlieni  w  itln.nt  ipiarrelinvjahniit 
their  niimlier ;  and  that  the  ii  lured  yiuilli,  whose  sport  they  spoil  ilo  not  like  to  toin  h  them,  and  especially  to 
tread  on  them  unless  tliey  happen  to  have  shoes  on  to  cover  the  soles  of  their  hroad  black  feet. 

IIin.Ml-s:    '/'n-  J'ri/,\K.uir  ,1/ ///,■  /!>,a{/'.is/  '/',i/'/i\ 


/^N  our  Atlantic  ctxist  are  found  several  species  of  this  taniily.  j,fenerally 
^^^  known  by  the  name  "  Sculpin."  an<l  iilso  1)\-  sut  h  titles  as  *'  (Inilihy," 
"  ruftin^'-t,M-ul)l)y,"  ••  Daddy  Sculpii  ."  •  IJullhead."  "Sea-robin."  •'  Sea- 
toad,"  and  "  I'ig-fish."  'I'heir  (.vonomic  \alue  is  little  or  none,  but 
they  are  important  as  scavengt'rs,  and  .I'e  used  tor  lobster  bait.  'I'hey  are 
often  a  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  lishernien  by  cumbering  their 
hooks  and  by  stealing  their  bait.  'I'lu  most  abundant  species  is  the 
I'lighteen-spined  Sculpin.  Cottiis  0(-tOi/i'riiiispiiiosiis,  which  fre(|uents  shallow 
and  moderately  deep  waters  from  l,;ibradorto  New  York.  It  is  usually 
associated  with  a  smaller  species,  Cotttis  wiii'iis,  which  may  be  tailed  the 
*'  Pigm  -^'ulpin,"  and  which  ranges  from  the  Ikiy  of  Fundy  to  New  \'ork. 
Coffiis  Si  rpius,  of  Europe,  is  represented  on  our  coasts  by  C.  si  orpins 
sub-species  i:;ricnlaiuUctis,  which  is  abundant  everywhere  from  New  N'ork  to 
Cireenland  and  Labrador.  This  sul>species  has  been  found  on  the  coast  of 
Ireland,*  and  the  typical  GV/z/i"  j^w/zV/jt  has  been  shown  by  Dr.  IJean  to 
occur  in  Maine.  This  is  also,  in  addition  to  several  insignifit  ant  species 
seldom  seen  excejU  by  naturalists,  a  large,  brilliantly  colored  form,  known 


■"Annals  of  Natural  History,  1844,  p.  402. 


■' 


M: 


!;    ;  I 


302 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


as  the  "Sea-raven,"  '•  Rock  'J'oad  fisli,"  or  "  Deep-water  Sculpin,"  which 
is  found  as  far  soutli  as  tlie  entrance  to  Chesa])eake  Bay,  is  abundant 
throughout  New  I'lngland,  and  has  been  discovered  off  the  coast  of  Nova 
Scotia.  This  fish,  ///'//////v/Avv/jr ///,sy>/(//AT,  or  //.  aiinriiantis,  attains  the 
length  of  two  feet,  and  is  consi)icuous  by  reason  of  its  russet-orange  or 
brick-red  colors,  its  harkHjuin-like  markings,  its  warted  body,  its  gro- 
tesquely elongated  fins,  and  above  all,  by  its  peculiar  habit  of  swallowing 
air  until  its  belly  is  intlated  like  a  balloon. 

These  fishes  feed  ujion  all  bottom  animals,  mollusks,  crustaceans,  sea- 
urchins,  and  worms,  and  may  also  be  fiiund  in  tlie  harbors  devouring  any 
refuse  substances  which  may  be  lying  upon  the  bottom.  They  breed  fur 
the  most  part  in  summer,  and  certain  species,  like  the  Sea-raven  and  the 
Cireenlancl  Sculpin,  at  that  time  assume  very  brilliant  colors.  They  are 
not  eaten  by  our  pcoijle,  although  the  Sea-raven  is  decidedly  palatable. 
Those  species  which  occur  in  (ireenland,  are  said  to  be  eaten  by  the 
natives.  As  has  been  remarked,  they  are  a  source  of  annoyance  to  fisher- 
men, whose  bait  they  steal  and  whose  hooks,  especially  the  hooks  of  their 
trawl-lines,  they  encumber.  Boys  delight  to  catch  them  and  fix  a  piece  of 
light  wood  between  their  teeth  ;  they  are  then  unable  to  swim  and  struggle 
vigorously  at  the  top  of  tlie  water. 

About  the  fish-curing  stations  they  are  very  abundant,  and  exceedingly 
useful  as  scavengers,  gorging  themselves  with  refuse  thrown  back  into  tlie 
sea;  they  care  little  for  the  ])resence  of  man,  and  can  hardly  be  driven 
away,  even  when  roughly  punched  with  a  boat-hook. 

In  the  lakes  and  streams  of  the  Northern  States  are  numerous  species  of 
Uranidca  and  allied  genera,  known  in  some  localities  by  the  ICnglish 
name  of  "Miller's  Thumb,"  also  called  "Bull-heads,"  "Goblins," 
"Blobs,"  and  "Muffle-jaws."  They  are  small  and  of  no  importance 
except  as  the  food  for  larger  species. 

The  Cottidai,  according  to  Jordan,  are  represented  on  the  Pacific  coast 
by  about  eighteen  separate  species,  known  by  such  names  as  "  Sculpin," 
"Drummer,"  "  Salpa,"  "Johnny,"  "  Biggy-head,"  and  "Cabezon." 
Only  one  of  these  species,  ScorpanichtJiys  nianiioratiis,  has  any  sort  of 
economic  importance ;  the  others  may  be  considered  collectively.  The 
names  applied  to  them  may  be  briefly  considered.  'I'he  name  Sculpin,  of 
course,  is  derived  from  that  in  use  for  the  Atlantic  species  of  Cottus. 
"  Drummer,"  comes  from  the  quivering  noise  made  by  many  species  when 


SCULP/.VS  AND  GURNARDS. 


303 


taken  alive  out  of  the  water.  "  Salpa  "  is  a  Spanish  word  for  toad,  and 
applied  also  to  species  of  Batraehidcc.  "  Johnny  "  is  applied  only  to  very 
little  Sculpins  along  the  shore,  notably  OUgocotttis  maculosus.  The  same 
name  is  given  in  the  Ohio  Valley  to  fishes  of  precisely  similar  habits, 
the  EtJu'ostomatidce.  '*  Biggy-heud  "  and  its  Spanish  cognate  *'  Cabezon  " 
are  used  by  the  Italians  and  Spanish  about  Monterey,  Santa  Barbara,  and 
elsewhere,  for  different  Cottida;. 

Most  of  the  Cottida;  feed  upon  small  fishes,  and  especially  crustacea; 
one  species, Z"//^'////M..f  bison,  being  a  vegetable  feeder.  All  take  the  hook 
readily.  The  flesh  is  poor,  tough,  and  dry,  and  tlie  waste  by  <he  removal 
of  the  head,  viscera,  and  skin  is  so  great  that  even  the  poorest  people  tlo 
not  use  them  as  food.  Various  sorts  (notably  Lcpiocottus  armatiis)  are 
dried  by  the  Chinese,  who  consider  them  the  poorest  of  all  dried  fishes. 

The  Sea-robin  or  Gurnard  family,  is  represented  on  our  Atlantic  coast 
by  several  species,  some  of  them  being  quite  abundant.  The  most  striking 
of  them  all  is  the  Sea-bat  or  Flying  Gurnard,  Dactyloptcnisvolitans,  which 
is  remarkable  on  account  of  its  enormous  spreading  fins,  larger  than  those 
of  a  flying-fish — wings  which,  however,  are  not  sufficiently  powerful  to  lift 
the  body  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  though  useful  in  maintaining  the 
ecpiilibrium  of  the  heavy-headed  body  swimming  through  the  water.  'I'he 
colors  of  the  body  and  of  the  fins  are  very  brilliant,  and  the  fish  is  often 
exhibited  as  a  curiosity.  It  is  found  along  our  entire  coast  soutii  of  Gape 
Cod,  and  in  the  waters  of  Brazil ;  also  in  the  Mediterranean  and  in  tlie 
neighboring  parts  of  the  Eastern  Atlantic. 

The  most  important  of  the  Pacific  Sculpins,  writes  Jordan,  is  Scorpccn- 
ic/it/iys  mannoratus.  a  species  which  attains  the  weight  of  more  than  ten 
pounds,  being  by  far  the  largest  member  of  its  family  in  those  waters.  It 
is  found  from  San  Diego  on  the  south,  to  \'ictoria  on  the  north,  but  is 
more  abundant  about  Monterey  and  San  Francisco,  than  either  northward 
or  southward.  It  inhabits  moderate  depths,  and  is  taken  in  considerate 
numbers  with  gill-nets  and  hooks.  It  feeds  upon  crustacea  and  small  fish. 
Its  value  is  very  slight,  its  flesh  being  tough  and  flavorless,  anil  it  is  rarely 
sent  to  market  when  good  fish  are  abundant. 

The  genus  Prioiiofiis,  of  which  we  have  five  species,  resembles  Dac- 
tyloptcnis  in  general  form,  l)ut  the  wings  are  much  smaller,  while  two  or 
three  of  the  lower  rays  of  these  fins  are  developed  into  finger-like 
appendages  which  are  used  in  stirring  up  the  weeds  and  sand  to  rout  out 


304 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


m 


p  ^1. 


the  small  animals  ujinn  which  they  feed.  In  Southern  Xew  England  there 
are  t'vo  species,  P.  palinipcs  and  P.  cvolans,  the  latter  distinguished  by  the 
presence  of  dark  strijies  upon  its  sides.  These  attain  the  length  of  fifteen 
to  eighteen  inches  and  a  weight  of  one  and  a  quarter  to  two  pounds. 
They  have  excellent  food  (lualities,  but  are  eaten,  so  far  as  we  have 
record,  only  in  the  vicinity  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  they  are  known  as 
"  Wing-fish."  They  are  taken  in  great  ([uantities  in  the  pountl-nets  along 
the  Vineyard  Sound,  especially  the  imstriped  sjiecies,  the  habits  of  which 
are  better  understood  than  those  of  the  allied  sjjecies.  It  feeds  ujxjn 
crabs,  shrimps,  and  small  fishes. 

In  Vineyard  Sound  the  Sea-robin  spawns  during  the  summer  months. 
A  specimen  obtained  at  Woods  Holl,  August  t2,  1875,  contained  eggs 
nearly  ripe.  Another,  ol)served  at  Noank,  Conn.,  July  11,  1874,  was  in 
precisely  the  same  condition.  Lyman  states  that  in  1S71  the  eggs,  which 
are  bright  orange,  were  thrown  up  in  (juantities  during  the  last  thinl  of 
May  on  the  beach  on  the  inner  parts  of  Waquoit  Bay,  and  the  females  liad 
well  developed  spawn  in  them. 

The  species  just  mentioned  are  found  as  far  north  as  Cape  Cod  ;  the 
Web-fingered  Sea-robin,  P.  palinipcs,  even  north  of  the  Cajje,  two  or  three 
spe<:imens  having  been  obtained  in  the  vicinity  of  Salem  and  I,ynn. 
These  two  species  ajjparently  do  not  occur  much  to  the  south  of  Cajje 
Hatteras,  and  on  our  Southern  coast  they  are  replaced  by  others  which 
are  smaller,  and  at  present,  of  no  economic  importance.  The  genus 
Prioiiotiis  does  not  occur  in  Europe,  the  family  being  there  represented  by 
a  very  similar  form,  genus  Trivia,  which,  however,  has  still  smaller  wings. 
Its  habits  are  much  the  same.  A  single  specimen  of  the  Red  Gurnard  of 
Europe,  Tn)^hi  citculiis,  is  said  to  have  been  taken  at  Xew  Vork.  Euro]  e 
has  nine  species  of  Trii^la,  most  of  which  are  highly  esteemed  for  food  : 
some  of  these  species  have  been  know  n  to  attain  the  length  of  two  feet, 
and  the  weight  of  eleven  pounds.  These  fishes  are  held  in  high  estima- 
tion, and  are  frequently  seen  in  the  markets. 

Parnell  writes:  "The  Red  (iurnard  occurs  on  the  Devonshire  coast  in 
great  numbers,  and  on  some  occasions  thousands  of  them  may  be  seen 
exposed  for  sale  daily,  especially  in  those  small  towns  where  the  trawl - 
boat  fishing  is  carried  on.  The  fiesh  is  firm  and  well-flavoretl.  The 
Tub-fish,  T.  hiniHiio,  is  of  frequent  occurrence  on  the  west  coast  of  Scot- 
land, and  is  occasionally  brought  to  the  Edinburgh  market.      Its  flesh  is 


SCrZPAVS  AND  GURNARDS. 


111. 
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en 
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firni  and  wliolcsomc,  anil  is  considered  l)y  some  to  he  superior  to  the  l.isl 
species,  but  in  general  more  dry.  In  the  north  of  Europe  it  is  sahed  lot 
keeping.  The  (Iray  (iurnard,  T.  \:;iiniard!is,  is  considered  1)_\-  all  fishermen 
richer  and  sweeter  than  any  of  the  other  (lurnards,  although  in  the  markets 
it  is  less  sought  after  than  the  Red  durnard,  which  is  the  drier  and  worse 
llavoredof  the  two.  It  is  taken  generally  with  hooks  baited  with  mussels."' 
These  fish  are  taken  in  very  great  numbers  in  the  trawl-nets;  they  ai)]ieat 
to  be  much  more  abundant  on  the  Euro])ean  coast  than  their  cousins,  the 
Sea-robins,  with  us.  These  recommendations  are  ([uoted  here  in  order 
to  draw  attention  to  this  neglected  group  of  fishes,  which  are  (  ertaiidy 
wortliy  of  greater  consideration  than  they  have  hitherto  receiseil. 

Mr.  J.  (!arson  Brevoort  has  given  the  following  testimony  regarding  the 
food  (jualities  of  the  American  species: 

•'Among  the  fish  that  may  be  classed  as  edible,  but  which  are  entirely 
neglected  here,  is  the  Sea-robin,  (Irunter,  or  Ournard.  This  curious, 
but  rather  forbidding  creature,  is,  in  reality,  one  of  the  most  deliiate 
morsels  that  (~an  be  laid  before  an  epicure,  the  llesh  being  snow-white, 
firm,  and  fiilly  as  good  as  that  of  the  king-fish,  or  whiting.  In  fact  it 
would  be  hard  to  distinguish  them  when  placed  on  the  table. 

'•  In  ICurope  every  one  of  the  kinds  of  the  Trigla,  or  (lurnard  fimily, 
is  sought  after  eagerly,  and  finds  a  ready  sale  on  the  fish  stalls.  They  ha\  c 
eight  or  ten  kinds  of  the  group  there,  and  we  ha\  e  but  six  here  ;  all  but 
one  different  from  the  I'^uropean  kinds,  though  belonging  to  the  same 
familv.  N\'e  shall  not  attempt  t(j  describe  all  these  fish,  which  resemble 
eac  h  other  \ery  much  in  all  but  the  color.  Tliey  all  ha\e  large  heads, 
sheathed  with  rough,  bony  plates,  and  armed  with  many  acute  jioints,  and 
their  dorsal  fin  has  also  several  sharp,  thorny  rays.  These  prickles  are  all 
erected  bv  the  fish  when  taken  alive,  and  they  inflict  a  painful,  though 
not,  as  manv  say,  a  pt)ison()Us  wound.  The  broad  mouth  is  furnished  with 
rough,  but  not  sharj),  teeth  ;  the  ]ie(  toral  fins  in  most  of  the  s|)ecies  arc  very 
long,  and  can  l)e  expanded  like  a  fan,  whence  they  are  sometimes  called 
Flying-fish  and  Butterfiy-fish.  It  is  doubtful,  howe\er,  whether  they  can 
actually  fiy  like  a  fiying-fish,  but  they  have  been  said  to  skip  from  wave 
to  wave,  a  iieculiarity  often  albuleil  to  by  halieutic  poets.  They  also 
emit  a  grunting  sound,  which  can  be  distinctly  heard  in  still  weather 
while  Iving  at  anchor  on  a  shallow,  which  they  frequent.  At  such  a  time 
the  sound  resembles  the  distant  lowing  (jf  kine.  When  freshly  taken 
from  the  water  they  grunt  ([uite  loudly,  whence  their  popular  name  of 
Grunter,  or  Cuckoo-fish. 

"The  Gurnards  live  on  crabs  and  delicate  fresh  fi)od,  taking  all  such 
baits  readily,  on  a  clean  bottom,  and  they  sometimes  anno"  fishermen 


3o6 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


■!      i  ■ 


hugely  by  their  voracity.  They  jihiy  well  on  the  hook,  and  a  huge  one 
tugging  at  a  rod  is  often  supposed  to  be  a  game  fish  and  a  ])rize,  till  the 
ugly  Sea-robin,  with  his  spiky  helmet,  shows  himself  at  the  surface. 

"  The  (lurnards  of  our  coasts  do  not  reach  a  large  size,  at  least  we  have 
but  rarely  seen  any  that  weighecl  over  a  jMJimd,  wliile  in  Jun-ope  some  of 
the  species,  such  as  the  Tub-fish,  7/7j,'-A?  hiniiulo,  have  been  found  weigii- 
ing  eleven  pounds,  and  those  of  seven  or  eight  are  common.  'J'he  \<.k:i\ 
Clurnard,  or  Rochet,  T.  cuculns,  and  the  Piper,  T.  lyra,  reach  three  or 
four  ])ounds,  a\eraging  about  two,  while  the  other  European  kinds 
resembles  ours  as  to  si/.e. 

"  Small  as  our  species  are,  they  are  not  the  less  delicate  when  cooked, 
and  we  have  often  verified  this  fact.  They  are  sold  in  England  by  the 
number,  and  not  by  weight,  for  their  large  heads  -ire  inedible,  while  they 
add,  perhaps,  one-(]uarter  to  their  weight.  The  lOnglish  fishermen  take 
them  almost  everywhere  along  the  coast  in  large  trawl-nets,  constructed 
for  their  capture,  though  other  bottom  fish  may  find  theii  way  into  the 
net.  These  trawls  are  generally  twelve  or  sixteen  feet  wide  at  the  mouth, 
while  a  bag  ])roi)ortioned  to  their  beam,  which  has  one  or  two  labyrinths 
like  a  fyke-net  inside.  The  Trawl  is  managed  from  a  large  sail-boat,  with 
a  block  and  tackle,  and  is  hauletl  in  water  as  deep  as  eight  or  ten 
fathoms.  We  do  not  recommenil  this  special  fishery  to  our  coast  fisher- 
men, as  our  Gurnards  are  small,  but  wish  only  to  call  attention  to  the 
edible  qualities  of  this  generally  despised  fish. 

"  Piscator  (the  anonymous  anther  of  the  'Practical  Angler),  in  his 
excellent  little  treatise  entitled  *  Fish  ;  How  to  Choose  and  How  to  Dress,' 
]niblished  in  1843,  says  of  the  Gurnard  that  their  flesh  is  '  white,  excellent, 
exceedingly  firm,  and  shells  out  into  snowy  flakes,  and  is  of  a  remarkably 
agreeable  flavor,'  and  that  '  they  keep  well.'  He  recommends  them  to  be 
boiled — that  is  the  large  ones ;  while  the  small  ones  may  be  split  and  fried. 
Having  drawn  attention  to  this  first  as  one  that  deserves  a  place  on  our 
tables,  we  leave  his  fate  hereafter  to  the  tender  care  of  a  good  cook  and 
a  discerning  palate. 

Another  member  of  this  family  is  the  Pcristcdiiim  ininiatiiiii,  a  brilliant 
red  species  recently  discovered  by  the  Fish  Commission  in  the  deep  waters 
on  the  coast  of  Southern  New  England. 


Till-;  IIALI13UT. 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AND  FLOUNDER. 

Flat  fish,  with  eyes  distorted,  sciuare,  ovuid,  rliomlicjid,  long. 
Some  cased  in  mail,  some  slippery-backed,  tlie  ft-elilc  and  the  strong, 
Sedan'd  on  poles,  or  dragg'd  on  hooks,  or  jionred  from  tulis  like  water, 
Uasp  side  by  side,  together  piled,  in  one  promiscuous  slaugliter. 

Badiiam. 

'TpHE  Halibut  is  widely  distributed  through  the  North  Atlantic  and 
North  Pacific,  near  the  shores,  in  shallow  water,  as  well  as  ujion  the 
off-shore  banks  and  the  edges  of  the  continental  slope  down  to  a  depth  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  fathoms  or  more.  In  the  Western  Atlantic  the 
species  has  not  been  observed  south  of  the  fortieth  parallel,  stragglers 
having  occasionally  been  taken  off  Sandy  Hook,  Block  Island,  and  Mon- 
tauk  Point,  while  it  ranges  north  at  least  to  Cumberland  Gulf,  latitude 
64°,  and  as  far  as  Disko,  Greenland,  five  or  six  degrees  within  the  Arctic 
Circle.  Along  the  entire  west  coast  of  Greenland  they  exist,  abundant 
about  Iceland  and  north  to  Spitzbergen,  in  latitude  So°.  No  one  knows 
to  what  extent  they  are  distributed  along  the  European  and  Asiatic  shores 
of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  but  they  have  been  observed  on  both  sides  of  the 
North  Cape,  in  East  and  West  Denmark,  and  from  the  North  Cape, 
latitude  71°,  south  along  the  entire  western  line  of  the  Scandinavian 
Peninsula,  in  the  Skager  Rack  and  Kattegat,  but  not,  however  in  the 
Baltic.  South  of  latitude  50°  their  range  in  the  Eastern  Atlantic  appears 
to  cease. 

On  the  Pacific  coast  the  Halibut,  which  has  been  shown  by  Dr.  Bean  to 


3oS 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


lie  identical  witli  that  of  the  Atlantic,  rani,'cs  from  the  Farallone  Islands 
northward  to  Behring  Straits,  becoming  more  abundant  northward.  Its 
centre  of  abundance  is  in  tlie  Gidf  of  Alaska,  particularly  about  Kodiak, 
the  Alexander  Archii)elago,  and  the  Shumagins.  It  is  occasionally  taken 
off  San  l'"rancis(o  and  about  Humboldt  15ay.  In  the  Straits  of  Fuca  and  in 
the  deejjer  channels  about  I'uget  Sound  it  is  taken  in  considerable 
numbers. 

The  Halibut  is  cmjihatically  a  cold-water  species.  That  it  ranges  nine 
or  ten  degrees  further  south  on  the  American  than  on  the  Kuro])ean  coast, 
is  <]uite  in  accordance  with  the  general  law  of  the  distribution  of  fish-life 
in  the  Atlantic  ;  indeed,  it  is  only  in  winter  that  Halibut  are  known  to 
approach  the  shore  to  the  south  of  Cape  Cod,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the 
temperature  of  the  water  in  which  they  are  at  ]iresent  most  frecpiently 
taken  is  never,  or  rarely  higher  than  45°,  and  seldom  higher  than  35°, 
and  often  in  the  neighborliood  of  32°.  Its  geographic  range  corresponds 
closely  to  that  of  the  codfish,  with  which  it  is  almost  invariably  associated' 
though  the  cod  is  less  dependent  upon  the  jiresence  of  A-ery  cold  water,  and 
in  the  Western  Atlantic  is  found  four  or  five  degrees — in  the  Fastcrn 
Atlantic  at  least  two — nearer  the  E([uator,  while  the  range  of  the  two 
species  to  the  north  is  probably,  though  not  certainly,  known  to  be  limited 
relatively  in  about  the  same  degree.  In  the  same  manner  the  Halibut 
appears  to  extend  its  wanderings  further  out  to  sea,  and  in  deeper  and 
colder  water  than  the  cod.  Although  observations  on  this  ]X)int  ha\e 
necessarily  been  imperfect,  it  seems  to  be  a  fact,  that  while  cod  are  very 
rarely  found  ujion  the  edge  of  the  continental  sIojjc  of  North  America, 
beyond  the  250-fatiiom  line.  Halibut  are  present  there  in  abundance. 

The  name  of  this  siK^cies  is  cpiite  uniform  in  the  regions  where  it  is 
known,  though  of  course  subject  to  certain  variations  in  the  languages  of 
the  different  countries,  and  its  characteristic  features  are  so  unmistakable 
that  it  is  rarely  confounded  with  other  species,  the  only  fish  for  which  it  is 
ever  mistaken  seeming  to  be  the  Turbot  of  the  Euroi)ean  coast,  with  which 
it  sometimes  interchanges  names.  In  Scotland  it  is  said  that  the  Halibi;t 
is  frecpiently  called  the  Turbot,  and  Yarrell  has  expressed  the  opinion  that 
in  instances  wliere  it  had  been  claimed  that  Halibut  had  been  taken  in 
the  south  of  Ireland  the  Turbot  was  the  species  actually  referred  to. 

"  Halibut  "  and  "  Holibut  "  are  words  which  are  as  old  as  the  ICnulish 
language.      In  Germany  it  is  called   "Heilbutt"   or   "  Heiligebutt  " ;   in 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AND  FLOUNDER, 


309 


Sweden,  "  Hallcfisk  "  or  ''  Ilallcnundra,"  while  in  Holland   the   name  is 
"  lleilbot." 

In  studying  these  names  it  should  be  I)f)rne  in  mind  that  '•  I'.ut  "  or 
"  IJott  "  is  another  word  for  a  tlounder  or  tlat  fish,  and  that  the  Mnglish, 
Dutch,  German,  and  Scandinavian  prefixes  to  either  this  wortl,  or  the 
equivalent  word  Flounder,  are  presumably  of  the  same  meaning.  A  false 
derivation  has  been  imagined  for  the  name,  which  is  exemplified  in  the 
(lerman  word  "  Heiligebutt  "  just  mentioned,  and  also  in  the  I'.nglish 
orthography,  which  is  sometimes  encountered  "  liolybut."  This  is  with- 
out foundation,  for  the  Halibut  has  never  l)een  mentioned  more  than  any 
other  species  of  flat  fish,  and  the  derivation  is  as  fancifiil  as  the  New  Eng- 
land one  of  "  Haul-a-boat,"  which  our  fishermen  have  frecpiently  assured 
me  is  the  proper  name,  referring  to  the  size  and  the  strength  of  the  fish. 
The  true  derivation  of  the  word  is  best  understood  by  a  study  of  its  Scan- 
dinavian names,  from  which  it  ajJiiears  that  the  prefix  has  reference 
simply  to  the  holes  or  deep  places  at  sea  in  which  the  fish  is  found,  and 
that  the  name  simply  means,  "  a  deep-sea  fish,"  or  "  a  deep-sea  flounder." 
The  name  "  Fletan  "  which  a  species  bears  in  France  is  not  distinctive, 
the  fish  being  almost  unknown  in  that  country. 

Half  a  century  ago  Halibut  were  extremely  abundant  in  Massachusetts 
Bay.  Elsewhere  in  this  essay  are  given  several  instances  of  their  great 
plenty  and  voracity,  as  narrated  by  some  of  the  early  fishermen  of  Cape 
Ann.  Of  late  years,  however,  few  are  found  except  in  deep  water  on  the 
off-shore  banks. 

The  presence  of  so  important  a  food-fish  as  the  Halibut  in  America  did 
not  long  escape  the  observations  of  the  early  English  explorers.  Capt. 
John  Smith,  in  his  "  History  of  Virginia,"  wrote  :  "  There  is  a  large  sized 
fish  called  Halibut,  or  Turbot ;  some  are  taken  so  bigg  that  two  men  have 
much  a  doe  to  hall  them  into  the  boate  ;  but  there  is  such  jilcnty,  tliat  the 
fisher  men  onely  eate  the  heads  &  finnes,  and  throw  awa)'  the  bodies  ; 
such  in  Paris  would  yeeld  5.  or  6.  crownes  a  peece :  and  this  is  no 
discommodity." 

The  Halibut  is  surpassed  in  size  by  only  three  of  our  eastern  species — 
th^  sword-fish,  the  tunny,  and  the  tarpum.  There  is  said,  by  experienced 
fishermen,  to  be  a  great  difference  in  the  size  of  the  two  sexes,  the  females 
being  much  the  larger  ;  the  male  is  said  rarely  to  exceed  fifty  pounds  in 
weight,  and  to  be,   ordinarily,   in  poor  condition  and  less  desirable  for 


;io 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


food.  TliL'  average  size  of  a  full-grown  female  is  somewhat  between  one 
hundred  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  jiounds,  though  they  are  sometimes 
much  heavier.  Capt.  Collins,  who  has  had  many  years'  cxiK'rience  in  the 
(iloucester  Halibut  fishery,  assures  me  that  he  has  ne\er  seen  one  whi<  h 
would  weigh  over  two  huntlred  and  fifty  pounds,  and  that  one  weighing 
o\er  two  hundred  and  fifty  i)0unds  is  considered  large.  There  are,  how- 
ever, well-authenticated  instances  of  their  attaining  greater  dimensions. 
C"a])t.  Atwood,  in  a  communication  to  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History,  in  1.S64,  stated  that  the  largest  he  had  ever  taken  weighed,  when 
dressed,  two  hundred  and  thirty-seven  pounds,  and  would  probably  have 
weighed  three  hundred  pounds  as  taken  from  the  water.  In  July,  1879, 
however,  the  same  relial)le  observer  saw  at  Provincetown  two  individuals 
taken  near  Race  I'oint,  one  of  which  weighed  three  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
pounds  (three  hundred  and  two  pounds  when  dressed),  the  other,  four 
hundred  and  one  pounds  (three  hundred  and  twenty-two  pounds  when 
dressed). 

There  is  a  tradition  in  Boston  that  Mr.  Anthony  Holbrook,  one  of  the 
early  fish  dealers  of  that  city,  had  in  his  jiossession  a  Halibut,  taken  at 
New  Ledge,  sixty  miles  southeast  of  Portland,  which  weighed  over  six 
hundred  pounds.  This  story,  which  is  recorded  by  Storer  in  his  "  Fishes 
of  Massachusetts,"  Capt.  Atwood  believes  to  be  untrue.  Halibut,  weigh- 
ing from  three  to  four  hundred  i)oiinds,  though  unusual  in  comparisori 
with  the  ordinary  size,  are  by  no  means  rare.  I  have  before  me  a  record 
of  ten  or  twelve  such,  captured  on  the  New  England  coast  during  the  i)ast 
ten  years.  Nilsson,  a  Swedish  ichthyologist,  has  mentioned  the  capture 
of  a  Halibut  on  that  coast  which  weighed  seven  hundred  and  twenty 
])ounds.  There  are  stories  of  Halibut  ten  feet  in  length  :  a  fish  weighing 
three  hundred  and  fifty  jxiunds  is  between  seven  and  eight  feet  long  and 
nearly  four  feet  in  width.  The  largest  individuals  are  not  considered 
nearly  so  good  for  table  use  as  those  of  less  than  one  hundred  pounds' 
weight.  A  fat  female  of  eighty  pounds,  is  by  good  judges,  considered  to 
be  in  the  highest  state  of  perfection.  Males  are  not,  however,  so  highly 
esteemed.  Small  Halibut,  known  as  "  Chicken  Halibut,"  ranging  from 
ten  to  twenty  pounds,  are  much  sought  after  by  epicures,  and  bring  a  high 
price  in  the  New  York  and  Boston  niarr.ets.  They  are  comparatively 
rare  however,  and  a  Halibut  weighing  ten  pounds  or  less  is  rarely  seen  ; 
the  smallest  recorded  on  our  coast  was  about  five  inches  in  length  and  was- 
taken  by  Prof.  Verrill  in  a  dredge-net  in  the  Straits  of  Canso. 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AXD  FLO  VXD  FR. 


3'i 


The  IIalil)ut  of  the  Pacific  arc  apparently  simihir  in  dimensions  to  those 
of  New  lOngland.  Mr.  Anderson,  inspector  of  fisheries  for  Uritish  Cohnn- 
bia,  states  that  they  there  attain  a  weiglit  of  200  pounds. 

The  wholesale  dealers  of  (lloucester,  in  Imying  fresh  Halibut  from  tiie 
fishermen,  recognize  two  grades  ;  one,  which  they  call  '■  (Irey  Halibut," 
they  consider  to  be  of  inferior  value,  ami  pay  a  lower  jjrice  for.  Tlie 
Grey  Halibut  are  distinguished  by  dark  cloudings  or  blot(  lies  upon  the 
under  side,  which  in  the  most  remarkable  fishes  are  ])ure  white.  Almost 
all  the  largest  Halibut  are  classed  among  the  Greys.  Fishermen  claim 
that  there  is  no  actual  difference  between  the  grey  and  the  white  fish,  and 
it  is  a  fair  cjuestion  whether  they  are  not  right. 

They  are  large-mouthed,  sharp-toothed,  voracious,  although  adapted  for 
life  upon  the  bottom,  and  doubtless  feed  largely  upon  crabs  and  moUusks  ; 
they  are  particularly  fond  of  fish  of  all  kinds  ;  these  they  waylay,  lying 
upon  the  bottom,  invisible  by  reason  of  their  fiat  bodies,  coloreil  to  corre- 
spond with  the  general  color  of  the  sand  or  mud  upon  which  they  rest. 
When  in  pursuit  of  their  prey  they  are  active,  and  often  come  ([uite  to  the 
surface,  especially  when  in  the  summer  they  follow  the  capelin  to  the 
shoal  water  near  the  land.  They  feed  ujion  skate,  cod,  luuUlock,  men- 
haden, mackerel,  herring,  lobsters,  fiounders,  sculpins,  grenadiers,  turbot, 
Norway  haddock,  bank  clams,  and  anything  else  that  is  eatable  and  can 
be  found  in  the  same  waters.  Capt.  Ashby  tells  me  that  common 
flounders  and  flat-fish  are  among  their  most  favorite  food  ;  they  follow 
them  up  the  shoals  of  George's  and  Nantucket  ;  they  lie  in  wait  for  them 
on  the  sand-rips  and  catch  them  as  they  swim  over.  He  has  seen  a  half 
bushel  of  flat-fish  in  the  stomach  of  one  ;  they  stow  them  away  very 
tightly.  He  has  often  seen  Halibut  chasing  flat-fish  over  the  surface  of  the 
water.  About  Cape  Sable  their  favorite  food  seems  to  be  haddock  and 
rusk.  He  has  seen  eight  or  ten  jiounds  of  haddock  and  cod  taken  out  of 
one  of  them.  When  they  are  on  the  shoals  they  are  sometimes  filled  with 
flat-fish,  haddock,  cusk,  sculpin  and  herring,  but  when  in  deep  water  he 
has  found  very  little  food  in  them.  They  eat  crabs  and  other  crustaceans, 
but  shells  are  rarely  found  in  their  stomachs,  except  those  of  clams  and 
mussels. 

Capt.  Hurlbert  tells  me  that  when  the  vessels  are  dressing  codfish  on  the 
Grand  Banks,  and  the  back-bones  and  head  are  thrown  overboard,  these 
are  frequently  found  in  the  stomachs  of  Halibut  taken  in  the  same 
locality. 


3'- 


AMERICAN  FISHE3. 


At  the  nicctiiii;  of  the  l)i)st()n  Society  of  Natural  History,  in  1.S5J,  l)r. 
W.  ().  Ayres  stated  that  lie  had  seen  a  block  of  wood,  a  cubic  foot  in 
dimension,  taken  from  the  stomach  of  a  Halibut,  wliere  it  had  apparently 
lain  for  a  loni,^  time.  Cajit.  (leorge  A.  Johnson  foiuid  an  accordion  key 
in  one  of  them.  Olafson,  in  1S31,  studying  them  on  the  coast  of  Green- 
land, fotmd  not  only  jjieces  of  iron  and  wood  in  them,  but  in  the  stomach 
of  one  individual  a  large  piece  of  lloe  ice.  Capt.  Collins  has  ol)served 
that  they  often  kill  their  jirey  by  blows  of  the  tail,  a  fact  wliich  is  (piite 
novel  and  interesting.  He  described  to  me  an  instance  which  occurred 
on  a  voyage  home  from  Sable  Island  in  1877  :  "  'i"he  man  at  the  wheel 
sang  out  that  he  saw  a  Halibut  Happing  its  tail  about  a  (piarter  of  a  mile 
off  our  starboard  (piarter.  I  looked  through  the  sjiy-glass,  and  his  state- 
ment was  soon  verified  by  the  second  appearance  of  the  tail.  We  hove 
out  a  dory,  and  two  men  went  in  her,  taking  with  them  a  ]iair  of  gaff- 
hooks.  They  soon  returned  bringing  not  only  the  Halibut,  which  was  a 
fine  one,  of  about  seventy  pounds'  weight,  but  a  small  codfish  which  it 
had  been  trying  to  kill  by  striking  it  with  its  tail.  The  codfish  was  (piite 
exhausted  by  the  repeated  blows,  and  did  not  attempt  to  escape  after  his 
enemy  had  been  captured.  The  Halibut  was  so  comi)letely  engaged  in 
the  jKirsuit  of  the  codfish  that  it  paid  no  attention  to  the  dory,  and  was 
easily  captured." 

The  Halibut,  in  its  turn,  is  the  prey  of  seals,  of  the  white  whale,  and  of 
the  various  large  sharks,  especially  the  ground  shark,  or  sleeping  shark,  in 
the  stomachs  of  which  they  have  sometimes  been  found  ;  their  sides,  I  am 
told  by  Copt.  Collins,  are  often  deeply  scarred,  probably  by  the  teeth  of 
the  sharks,  01  in  their  early  lives  by  mouths  of  larger  individuals  of  their 
own  kind. 

There  is  diversity  of  opinion  regarding  their  spawning.  Some  fishermen 
say  that  they  breed  at  Christmas  time,  in  the  month  of  January,  when 
they  are  on  the  shoals.  Others  declare  that  it  is  in  summer,  at  the  end 
of  June.  Capt.  Ceorge  A.  Johnson,  of  the  Schooner  "Augusta  H.  John- 
son," of  Gloucester,  assures  me  that  Halibut  "spawn,  just  like  the  ^niman 
race,  at  any  time  of  the  year."  In  April,  1S7S,  he  was  fishing  on  Quer- 
eau  Bank,  an(I  found  large  and  small  Halibut,  the  large  ones  full  of  spawn. 
In  May  he  was  on  the  Le  Have  Bank,  where  he  found  only  small  male  fish 
full  of  milt  ;  in  June  he  was  on  Le  Have  again,  fishing  in  shallow  water, 
where  he  found  plenty  of  '  'small  bull  fish,  with  their  pockets  full  of  milt" ;  in 


^ 


I 


' 


irALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AND  FLOUXDF.R. 


.?'.? 


July  Ih>  was  again  on  (JntTi'au  I'ank,  wluTc  lie  found  a  s(  hool  of  small  am! 
liig  nialc  anil  feMnale  fish,  all,  appari'iitl)',  spawning,  or  ready  to  spawn, 
'•with  milt  and  pt'cs  soft";  in  August  he  was  on  the  outer  part  of  Sahle 
Island,  where  lie  found  females  full  of  s])awn. 

('apt.  Ashhy,  speaking  of  the  llalihut  on  (leorge's  Hanks,  states  that 
roe  is  alwa\s  found  in  them  in  May  and  June.  'I'he  roes  of  a  large  Ilali- 
liut  caught  by  him  in  1.S4S  on  the  southwest  part  of  (leorge's.  and  which 
weighed  356  pounds,  after  it  had  been  dressed  and  its  head  remo\ed, 
weighed  44  pounds,  lie  states  that  the  Halibut  in  this  region  have  spawn 
in  them  as  long  as  Connecticut  vessels  continue  to  catch  them,  or  until 
September.  Me  has  seen  eggs  in  Halibut  of  twenty  jjounds'  weight,  and 
thinks  that  they  begin  to  breed  at  that  si/e.  'i'he  spawn  of  the  Halibut 
is  a  favorite  food  of  the  fishermen  of  Southern  New  l-^ngland,  tiiough  never 
eaten  by  those  of  Cajie  Ann. 

Capt.  Hurlbert,  of  (Gloucester,  tells  me  that  on   the   Crrand    Danks   of 
Newfoundland  the  Halibut  school  used  to  come  up  in  shoal  water,  in  forty 
or   fifty  fathoms,  in  summer  and   that  the  sjjawn  was  ripest  about  a  fort- 
night later.      In  August,  1S7S,  he  found  many  with  the  spawn  already  run 
out.     At  that  time  several  (Uoucester  fishermen  reported  that  the  Halibut 
on    I-e   Have   and   (^uereau   IJanks  were   full  of   sjjawn.       Capt.    Collins 
told  me  that  in  July  and  August,  and  up  to  the  first  of  September,  they  are 
found  here  with  the  ovaries  very  large,  and  are  often  seen  with  the  ova  and 
milt  exuding.     The  ovaries  of  a  large  fish  are  too  heavy  to  be  lifted  by  a 
man,  without  considerable  exertion,  being  often  two  feet  or  more  in  length. 
At  this  time   very  little   food  is  found  in  their  stomachs.      In   September, 
1878,  the   Fish    Commission  obtained  from  Capt.    (Jollins  the   roes  of  a 
fish  weighing  from  190  to  200  ])ounds,  taken  by  the  schooner  "Marion" 
on  the  13th  of  the  month  on  Quereau   Bank.     This  fish  was  taken  at  the 
depth  of  200  fathoms,  and   the   temperature  of  the  water  was  roughly  re- 
corded at  36°  F.      These  ovaries  were  put  into  a  basket  with  ice  and  brought 
to  the  laboratory  of  the  Fish  Commission,  where  they  were  found  to  weigh 
seventeen  pounils,  two   ounces.      Part  of  the  eggs  were  nearly  ri])e,  and 
separated  readily,  while  others  were  immature  and  closely  adherent  to  each 
other.     A  portion  of  the  roe,  representing  a  fair  average  of  the  size  of  the 
eggs,  was  weighed    and  was   fount!   to  contain    2,185  t-'ggs;  the  weight  of 
this  portion  was  two  drams.      The  total  number  of  eggs  was  from  this  es- 
timated to  be  2,182,773.     It  is  not  yet  known  whether  the  eggs  float  or 


■    K 


i 


I 


3M 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


rest  upon  tlu'  liDttom.  nor  is  it  known  how  lonj,' is  the  period  of  incubation, 
nor  wliat  is  the  rate  (){  growtli  ot"  tlie  lisli.  As  has  already  been  mentioned, 
voiMi;;  t'l^li  are  \ery  unusual  :  the  smallest  ever  seen  by  Capt.  Ashby  in 
Southern  New  lln^land  was  taken  on  Nantucket  Shoals,  and  weighed  two 
anil  a  half  pounds  after  it  had  been  eviscerated. 

••  I, et't  handed  "  Halibut  are  sometimes  taken.  Perhaps  one  out  of  five 
thousand  i^  thus  abnormal  in  its  form,  haviiiL;  the  eyes  udou  the  left  rather 
than  upon  the  rij^dit  hand  side  of  the  head. 

Halibut  with  dark  spots  or  ])atches  on  the  under  side  of  the  same  dark 
color  as  the  back  are  occasionally  taken.  'I'hese  are  called  by  the  fisher- 
men "  Cin  us  Halibut."  They  are  generally  of  medium  size,  and  thick, 
well-fed  fish. 


Tin;  I'LAK'K. 


The  Plaice,  Summer  Flounder,  or  Turbot  Flounder,  Paralichthys  dcn- 
nitits,  is,  next  to  the  Halibut,  the  most  important  flat  fish  on  the  eastern 
coast.  It  is  a  meml)er  of  a  genus  not  existing  in  Europe,  though  repre- 
sented on  our  own  I'acific  coast,  in  China  and  Japan,  and  in  the  Indian 
Ocean.  Its  affinities  are  with  the  Halibut,  which  it  much  resembles  in  form, 
and  to  which  it  is  more  similar  in  flavor  than  to  the  Turbot  and  Brill,  so 
well  known  in  transatlantic  fish  markets.  Our  common  species  was  first 
brought  to  notice  in  1766,  when  Linnreus  received  specimens  from  South 
Carolina,  sent  him  by  Dr.  Garden.  It  seems  at  that  time  to  have  been  of 
recognized  commercial  importance,  since  it  was  one  of  the  few  received  by 
Linnaeus  from  Garden  which  had  a  common  name.  In  South  Carolina  at 
this  time  it  was  called  Plaice,  and  this  is  a  name  which  is  now  accepted 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AND  FLOUXDER, 


.?'5 


in  the  Xl'w  N'liik  market  and  about  Cape  Cod,  althouKli  it  lias  mi'mt  Ihtm 
reco},Mii/L'd  !))■  those  who  have  written  l)ooks  on  Anierican  t'lshes,  'I  lu- 
fishermen  of  the  St.    |ohn's  Kixeralso  use  the   name    IMaice,    Imt    whether 


f(.r  th 


h 


.t  h 


d.      In  ( 


tor  tnis  specu's  nas  not  heen  (leti'rmined.  In  l  onni'(  tn  iit,  .Norlh  Laro- 
lina,  and  in  Idorida,  east  and  west,  as  well  as  on  other  pait^  of  the  coast, 
the  names  I'lotrnder  and  Common  Flounder  are  current,  in  .New  \'ork 
and  Xew  I'aiyland  the  name  Summer  Flounder  is  also  freipientlv  heanl. 
In  Rhode  Island  the  names  •'  I'lrail  "  and  '•  I'lickermouth  "  are  used,  th'- 
former  doubtless  a  modification  of  the  i'!n,L,dish  name  "  IJrill."  while  on  the 
bills  of  fare  in  Boston  and  Xew  York  hotels  it  is  often  caUed  the  ••  1  )eep-sea 
Flounder,"  especially  sinte  the  I'ole  Flounder  has  been  brou,L;ht  to  notice  by 
the  Fish  Commission,  and  has  obtaineil  a  reputation  as  a  delicious  table 
fish.  Fishermen  sometimes  mistake  them  for  youni,'  Halibut,  and  they 
doubtless  at  times  are  sold  under  the  name  of  "  Chic  ken  Halibut."  Tur- 
boi:  Mounder  is  another  name  which  has  been  suggested,  but,  upon  the 
whole,  IMaice  seems  most  desirable  for  general  adoption. 

This  fish  is  abundant  ujion  tiie  eastern  coast  of  the  I'nited  States  from 
Cape  Cod  to  Cape  Florida,  and  according  to  Mr.  Steam's  report  is  also 
found  along  the  entire  Gulf  coast.  Southward,  its  range  extends  at  least 
as  far  as  Paraguay.  To  the  northward  it  barely  rounds  Cape  Cod.  Cajit. 
Atwood  remembers  that  in  the  first  half  of  the  jjresent  century  great 
cpiantities  of  Plaice  were  found  inside  the  Point  at  Provincetown,  They 
were  so  numerous  that  in  one  afternoon  lie  caught  two  thousand  iiounds. 
They  arc  now  only  occasionally  taken,  and  have  not  recently  been  seen 
north  of  Provincetown,  though  Storer  has  reccjrded  their  occurrence  at 
Welllleet.  Capt.  Atwood  attributes  their  disapiiearance,  which  was  nearly 
simultaneous  with  the  advent  of  the  blue  fish,  to  the  fact  that  blue  fish  de- 
stroyed their  favorite  food,  the  sc[uid,  and  rendered  it  impossible  for  them 
to  live  longer  in  these  waters.  The  Plaice  has  been  much  less  al)undant 
in  Cape  Cod  Bay  within  the  last  thirty  years,  but  there  is  no  evidence  of 
considerable  diminution  in  numbers  elsewhere.  On  the  eastern  coast  of 
Connecticut  and  Long  Island,  where  the  Plaice  fishery  is  most  extensively 
])rosecuted,  it  is  the  opinion  of  experienced  fishermen  that  no  change  in 
numbers  has  been  perceptible  within  the  last  thirty  years.  The  Connecti- 
cut fishermen  say  that  they  are  frequently  so  abundant  that  they  have  only 
to  throw  out  and  pull  in  their  lines,  catching  "  all  they  choose,'"  while  the 
bottom  seems  to  be  carpeted  with  them. 


31 6 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


I     ■! 


II   a! 


Like  ntliers  of  its  tribe,  the  Plaice  haliitually  lie  upon  the  bottom,  where 
their  peculiar  shape  and   color  protect   them   from   observation   and  give 
them  excellent  oi)])ortunities  to  capture  their  prey.      In  the  north  they  are 
usually  f()un<l  at  a  depth  of  two  to  twenty  fathoms,  and  in  winter  move  off 
into  deeper  water.      In   New  Jersey  they  occur   at  lesser  depths.      Prof. 
P)air(l  records  that  they  are  sometimes  taken  in  large  numbers  by  means  of 
nets  in  the  decj)  slues  along  the  beach.     In  winter  they  do  not  run  out  so 
far  into  deej)  water,  and  "  at  times,"  says  Prof.  Paird,  "seem  to  be  (piite 
torpid  on  the  shallow  grounds,  suffering  themselves   to   be  taken  up  with 
oyster-tongs  without  making  any  attempt  to  escape."     Still  further  south 
they  are  found  in  the  shallowest  water.     The  fishermen  of  St.  John's  River 
seine  them  in  the  grass  along  the  shores  at  a  dejnh  of  three  or  four  feet. 
Mr.  Stearns  writes,  speaking  of  the  eastern  jxirt  of  the   Gulf  of  Mexico : 
*'  They  are  found   mostly  in   the  bays  and  bayous  where  the   bottom  is 
muddy  or  grassy,  but  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  them  in   shoal  water  along 
the  sand  beaches  of  the  coast  and  bays.     Very  shoal  water  seems  to  be 
particularly    attractive,    and    they   are  often   found    at    the  water's  edge 
eml)edded  in  the  sand,  with  only  their  eyes  in  view.     When  alarmed  or  in 
pursuit  of  prey  their  movements  are  very  swift,   and   the   cjuickness  with 
which  they  bury  themselves  in  the  sand  is  quite  wonderful." 

Their  habit  of  ascending  Southern  rivers  is  remarkable.  They  are  said 
to  occur  in  Lake  (leorge  and  the  other  lakes  at  the  headwaters  of  the  St. 
John's  and  the  Ocklawaha  Rivers.  At  Jacksonville  they  are  commonly 
taken  in  company  with  bream,  black  bass,  and  other  fresh-water  fish,  in 
winter  as  well  as  summer. 

Although  present  in  the  shoal  waters  of  Florida  throughout  the  year, 
Mr.  Stearns  states  that  they  are  most  abundant  in  summer.  On  the  Con- 
necticut coast,  however,  their  habit  of  migrating  seaward  is  much  more 
])ronounced.  The  Noank  fishermen  never  find  them  until  Mav.  They 
sav  that  they  never  catch  them  until  after  they  have  fished  awhile  for  sea- 
bass.  As  early  as  the  first  of  October  they  begin  to  grow  scarce,  and  none 
are  ordinarily  caught  after  the  middle  of  the  month.  I  cannot  find  that 
they  have  ever  been  seen  moving  in  schools,  though  fish  taken  in  the  same 
locality  at  the  same  time  are  usually  ijuite  uniform  in  size.  They  shift 
their  position,  probably  in  search  of  food,  and  where  any  are  fi-und  they 
are  plenty.  This  indicates  that  they  are  gregarious  in  habit.  The  abun- 
dance of  food  in  special  localities  sulificiently  explains  this  fact. 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AXD  FLOUXDT.R. 


317 


'i"hc  I'hiico  fcL'd  upon  siiKill  fish,  shrimps,  crabs,  and  hermit  (  ralis, 
scpiid,  small  sijcrics  of  shull-hcariiiif  molhisks,  ami  CLTtaiii  radiates,  such 
as  san<l-dollars.  TIk'v  arc  frc(|uciitly  seen  at  the  surface,  rapidlv  swim- 
minjj,-.  and  even  jum]iing  out  of  the  water,  in  i)ursuit  of  schools  of  sand-eels 
and  sand-smelts.  They  also  feed  upon  dead  fish  thrown  out  from  the 
fishdiouses.  Little  is  known  of  their  breeding;  habits.  All  the  Iarj;e 
females  observed  in  July  and  AuL,aist,  1874,  upon  the  Conne(  ti(  ut  (oast 
contained  spawn. but  it  was,  evidently,  fiir  from  maturity.  'l"he  l'"ish  Com- 
mission has  obtained  no  very  small  specimens  ;  in  fact,  none  less  than 
eight  or  nine  inches  in  length,  though  the  fishermen  sjieak  of  cajituring 
si.\-in(  h  indix  idiials.  Their  axerage  length  is  from  sixteen  to  thirtv  inclu's, 
and  the  weight  about  two  and  a  half  i)ounds,  though  it  is  not  unusual  to 
take  indi\  idiials  weighing  seven  or  eight  ])oun(ls.  At  Noank  about  eighty 
ri>h  are  ordinarily  ])acked  in  a  barrel,  weighing  from  160  to  175  pounds. 
The  largest  e\er  brought  to  Xoank  weighed  twenty-six  jiounds.  Others, 
of  whose  capture  I  have  known,  weighed  twenty,  sewnteen  and  a  half, 
and  fifteen  ])ounds.  In  Florida  and  at  l'ro\  incetown  i  have  seen  them 
three  feet  in  length.  A  one-pound  llsh  measures  about  fifteen  iiK  lies  ;  a 
one  antl  aipiarter  pound  fish,  sixteen  or  seventeen  ;  a  two-pound  fish,  seven- 
teen or  eighteen  ;  a  three-pound  fish,  about  twenty  ;  a  four-pound  fish, 
about  twenty-two  ;  an  eight-pound  I'ish,  about  twenty-seven,  and  a  ten- 
pound  fish,  about  thirty  inches.  These  jjroportions  are  taken  from  notes 
relating  to  a  large  number  weighed  and  measured  at  Xoank,  Conn.  The 
\\'inter  Idounder  or  Flat  Fish  spawns  in  late  winter  and  early  spring  near 
the  shore,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  I'laice  breeds  at  about  the  same 
[)eriod. 

The  most  extensive  fishery  for  the  I'laice  is  in  the  waters  of  Southern 
New  Fngland.  Ivnorite  tlshing  grounds  are  on  sandy  bottoms,  at  a  de|ith 
often  to  twentv  fathoms,  along  the  Atlantic  side  of  I>lo(k  Island,  Martha's 
\'ineyard.  and  Fastern  Fong  Island,  where  they  are  most  plentiful.  'Hiey 
are  obtained  in  smaller  muubers  in  the  harbors  and  bays  along  the  south 
shore  of  New  I'^ngland,  on  Skagwam  and  Middle  (iround  Reefs,  in  ]'"isher's 
Island  Sound  and  Fong  Jshuul  Sound,  and  outside  of  Fisher's  Island. 
They  are  also  taken  in  considerable  nmubers  in  the  pounds  of  this  region, 
occasionally  five  or  six  hundred  at  a  time.  The  (piantity  taken  in  the 
weirs  of  New  England  in  1876  was  estimated  as  follows: 


I\ 


II  !i 


B   I 


11 


318 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Pounds. 

Weirs  on  north  side  of  Cape  Cod 436 

Weirs  on  south  side  of  Cape  Cod 3,600 

Weirs  in  Vineyard  Sound 326,620 

Weirs  in  Buzzard's  Bay i5>749 

Weirs  on  Block  Island,  (estimated) 94)5oo 

Weirs  in  Fisher's  Island  Sound,   (estimated) 4,000 

Weirs  on  eastern  end  of  Long  Island 14,000 

Weirs  on  Rhode  Island 172,250 

663,55s 
From  other  localities 50,000 

7i3>555 
Estimated  annual  catch  of  Flat  Fish 600,000 


I. 313. 555 
Value  of  the  above,  at  four  cents  a  pound,  $52,542.00. 

These  statistics  of  the  catch  in  pound-nets  include  Plaice  and  Flat  Fish, 
and  in  the  statement  of  the  total  catch  no  distinction  will  be  made 
between  these  two  species. 

Immense  numbers  of  them  are  sometimes  taken  in  large  seines  hauled 
up  on  the  beach.  In  1876,  E.  Cleveland  seined  128,000  pounds  at 
Menemsha  Bight,  Mass.  By  far  the  greater  quantity,  however,  is  taken 
by  small  fishing  smacks  belonging  to  and  hailing  from  Noank,  A[ystic,  and 
New  London,  which  pursue  this  special  business  from  May  until  October. 
These  vessels  are  usually  absent  from  port  four  or  five  days,  and  spend  two 
days  in  fishing.  The  fish  are  shipped  in  ice  from  Noank  and  New  London 
principally  to  New  York,  and  also  to  inland  cities  in  the  vicinity.  A  single 
smack,  with  a  crew  of  a  man  and  two  boys,  usually  will  obtain  and  ship  to 
New  York,  on  an  average,  about  12  barrels  a  week,  about  160  barrels  a 
year,  or  25,000  to  28,000  pounds.  Capt.  Palmer,  of  Noank,  in  1873, 
caught  on  one  trip  of  two  days  about  1,000  fish,  weighing,  perhaps,  2,000 
pounds.  On  this  trip  he  used  four  lines.  A  good  fisherman  is  able  to 
manage  two  lines,  each  carrying  two  hooks.  Menhaden  bait  is  always 
used  by  professional  fishermen,  though  I  have  caught  Plaice  to  good  advan- 
tage with  lobster  bait.  A  vessel  usually  consumes  one  barrel  of  menhaden 
on  each  trip.     The  fish  strike  the  hook  sharply  as  soon  as  it  ai^proaches 


HAL  IB  UT,  FLA  T-  FISH  AND  FL  O  UNDER. 


319 


the  bottom,  giving  little  oi)portunity  to  the  skates,  which  very  seldom  get 
a  chance  at  a  Plaice's  hook.  In  this  respect  they  are  very  different  from 
the  cod.  When  the  fish  have  been  hauled  to  the  surfaie.  they  are  quickly 
transferred,  with  as  little  injury  as  possible,  to  the  well  of  the  smack, 
which  is  amjjly  large  enough  to  hold  the  results  of  two  or  three  days'  fish- 
ing. They  are  thus  brought  alive  to  the  place  of  shipment  cmd  reacli  the 
markets  in  excellent  condition,  a  fact  which  partially  explains  their 
l)opularity  compared  with  that  of  other  fish  of  the  same  family. 

In  1877  there  were  seven  smacks  engaged  in  this  fishery — one  from 
Mystic,  one  from  New  London,  and  five  from  Noank.  It  was  estimated 
bv  the  owner  of  one  of  the  vessels  that  each  vessel  made  on  an  average 
fifteen  trips  during  the  summer,  and  that  each  trip  averaged  800  fish, 
weighing  i^  pounds  each,  making  a  total  of  1,400  pounds  to  a  trip,  or 
21,000  pounds  to  the  season,  thus  giving  an  aggregate  of  147.000  pounds 
as  the  result  of  this  branch  of  the  fishery. 

Capt.  Atwood  states  that  in  1846  he  began  catching  Plaice  for  the  P.os- 
ton  market,  in  Provincetown  Harbor,  anchoring  where  the  keel  of  the  smack 
would  just  clear  the  bottom,  and  anywhere  near  Race  Point  he  could  catch 
them  in  great  numbers,  the  largest  weighing  from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds 
each.  In  one  afternoon  he  caught  two  thousand  pounds.  These  he  carried 
to  Boston  in  the  well  of  his  smack  and  tried  to  sell,  but  was  unsuccessfiil, 
though  they  were  offered  under  the  name  of  "  Turbot,"  local  prejudice  lieing 
against  them.  In  1879  there  were  seven  or  eight  boats  engaged  in  the 
Plaice  fishery  during  the  month  of  June,  this  month  being  the  best  for 
Plaice  fishing.  In  the  latter  part  of  July,  when  I  made  my  observations, 
all  of  the  winter  boats  had  stopped  fishing  for  the  year. 

The  method  in  use  here  is  somewhat  peculiar,  and  merits  description. 
The  fishermen  call  it  "  drailing  for  Plaice."  The  boat  used  is  an  ordinary 
cat-boat,  managed  by  one  person,  and  is  allowed  to  drift  with  free  slieet 
before  the  wind,  while  the  fisherman  stands  in  the  stern  dragging  the  line 
over  the  bottom,  baited  with  a  bit  of  sijuid  or  clam.  The  boat  is  kept  as 
nearly  as  possible  over  the  places  where  the  flats  are  deepening  most 
abruptly  into  the  basin  of  the  harbor,  and  where  the  water  is  from  eight  to 
eighteen  fathoms  deep.  Only  very  large  fish,  weighing  ten,  fifteen,  some- 
times even  twenty  pounds,  are  taken  in  this  manner.  The  average  catch 
is  from  eight  to  twenty  a  day.  In  one  day  one  man  reported  eight,  one 
fourteen,  and  one  twenty-three.     Some  of  these  fish  are  sold  in  Province- 


X. 


;20 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


i\ 


town,  I'Ut  the  i^Tcatcr  portion  is  sent  iced  to  New  York,  where  a  price  of 
twelve  cents  a  pound  wholesale,  is  easily  obtained.  In  Boston  there  is  no 
market  for  them. 

On  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  Prof.  Baird  states  that  in  1854  they  were 
taken  in  large  numbers,  by  means  of  nets,  in  the  deep  slues  along  the 
beach.  Along  the  southern  coast  they  are  occasionally  taken  by  the  line 
fishermen,  and  a  considerable  cjuantity  is  seined  by   the   river  fishermen. 

In  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  they  are  rarely  taken  by  hook  and  line,  and  are 
usually  speared  or  jigged  at  niglit,  by  torchlight. 

The  Plaice  has  always  been  the  most  popular  of  our  in-shore  llat  fishes, 
being  exempt  in  a  certain  degree  from  the  prejudice  attaching  to  the  fishes 
of  this  family.  It  seems  to  have  been  a  common  food-fish  in  South  Caro- 
lina as  early  as  1760,  and  Schoei)f  mentions  it  as  one  of  the  food-fishes  of 
New  York  in  1776.  In  1856,  according  to  Gill,  it  was  found  in  the  New 
York  market  in  autumn,  but  seems  to  have  been  less  in  favor  than  tlie 
Flat  Fish.  At  i)resent  the  Plaice  is  growing  in  favor  in  New  York,  and  is 
upon  the  lists  of  all  good  restaurants,  though  perhaps  not  so  generally 
consumed  as  the  Flat  Fish,  which  comes  in  the  winter,  when  the  market  is 
less  lavishly  supplied. 

In  Boston,  and  indeed  throughout  tlie  greater  part  of  New  England, 
this,  with  all  other  Flounders,  is  considered  unfit  to  eat,  and  it  is  by  no 
means  generally  popular  along  the  Southern  coast,  though  in  Florida  its 
fiesh  is  highly  prized.  The  Connecticut  fishermen  esteem  it  greatly,  and 
when  prei)aring  it  for  their  own  use  are  accustomed  to  hang  it  in  the  open 
air  for  a  day  ox  two  "  to  dry,"  as  they  say.  The  wholesale  price  in  New 
York  varies  from  one  and  a  half  to  six  cents,  but  is  usually  three  cents  a 
pound. 

Another  species  of  Flounder,  closely  related  to  the  Plaice,  is  the  common 
Ivnir-spotted  Flounder,  Paraliclithys  ohloiigiis,  which  occasionally  finds  its 
way  to  market  in  company  with  the  Plaice,  and  is  doubtless  sold  under  the 
same  name.  It  is  a  small  species,  rarely  attaining  a  greater  length  than 
twelve  inches  and  a  weight  of  one  i)ound.  It  may  be  readily  distinguislied 
by  the  invsence  upon  the  back  of  four  large,  dark  spots,  elliptical  in  form, 
but  these  socjn  fade  out  after  death. 

Its  distribution  is  much  more  restricted  than  that  of  the  Plaice  :  it  is 
most  al)undant,  at  a  depth  often  to  twenty  fathoms,  off  the  southern  coast 
of  New    England  ;    it    rarely    occurs    north    of   Cape    Cod,    though   one 


Its 
ul 
.'11 

.'\V 


m 

Its 

Ul 


IS 

St 

le 


HALIBUT,  I'LAT-FfSir AXI)  FLOUXDER. 


individual  was  taken  by  the  Fish  Commission  at  tlie  moml\  of  Salem  Hai- 
ocr,  nor  lias  it  been  recorded  soutli  of  New  \'ork.  'i'here  are  two  smaller 
species  ii[)on  the  Southern  coast — one,  Paraliclithys  qiuufroccllatiiSy 
l)roa(ler  than  raralichthys  oluoii^us,  also  niarketl  with  four  dorsal  spots, 
and  known  in  the  South  as  the  I'our-spotted  Flounder.  This  species  has 
been  observeil  as  far  north  as  C'harleston  and  Fort  Macon,  while  its  west- 
ern record  of  limit  is  I'ensacola.  Stearns  records  it  as  comnion  from 
Cedar  Keys  south  to  Key  West,  and  pronounces  it  an  excellent  fo(  d-li^li. 
It  cannot  at  jiresent,  however,  be  considered  very  important.  The  other 
species,  Para/iclifliys  stij^^ina/ias,  occurs  in  deep  water  (seventy-five  fathom^) 
off  the  coast  of  South  Carolina,  and  may  be  distinLCuished  by  the  presence 
of  three  conspicuous  spots  upon  the  upper  side  of  tlie  body. 


Till-;  I'l.iT  risM. 

Next  in  ini|)ortance  to  the  Plaice,  comes  the  Flat  Fihh.  PsiiiJopIciiro- 
vci'tcs  aiiuTiianiis,  or  Common  Flounder,  sometimes  called  the  '•  Winter 
r'luunder."  said  to  be  known  in  Massachi'.setts  Uay  as  the  ••Mud-dab." 
and  in  \ew  York  as  the  "Flounder."  New  \'ork  aiiL^ders  call  it  the 
••  Xiir^er  b'ish."  This  fish,  like  the  l'lai<'e.  belongs  to  a  mentis  unknown 
to  l-airope,  but  is  closel\'  relatedi  to  the  common  I-'lounder,  or  I'luke,  of  the 
r.ritish  coast.  Its  range  is  somewhat  extensi\e.  and  in  a  certain  degree  it 
replaces  the  I'laice  along  our  northern  coast.  It  has  not  been  observed 
south  of  Chesapeake  15ay,  but  northward  its  range  extends  to  the  ]'.ay  of 
Fundy,  to  the  eastern  shores  of  Nova  Scotia,  the  (iulf  ot  St.  Lawrence, 
and  even  to  the  coast  of  Labrador. 


3 " 


I 


H: 


t  i  f 


h- 


•J 


■ 


I   '■a 


i  i 


322 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Vlat  Fisli  art'  always  i:])(in  tlic  bottom,  feeding  chiefly  upon  minute 
shells,  suth  as  Niiciila  and  Bulla,  iijion  young  crabs,  or  whatever  they  can 
find  among  the  stones  in  the  mud.  'J'heir  mouths  are  very  small,  and 
since  they  would  l)e  unal)le  to  seize  and  kill  other  fish,  they  never  come 
to  the  surface  in  pursuit  of  ])rey,  as  do  the  large-mouthed  Flounders. 
They  prefer  sheltered  bays  and  harbors,  and  appear  to  be  equally  abundant 
on  the  bottoms  of  the  sand,  mud,  or  rock  ;  when  at  rest,  they  are  usually 
])artially  embedded  in  the  mud  or  sand  at  the  bottom.  I  have  ol)served 
that,  when  they  come  to  a  sto]),  they  always  settle  themselves  by  convul- 
sive motions  of  the  fins  antl  ])ody,  which  has  the  effect  of  pushing  lliem 
down  into  the  soft  bottom.  This  species  is  perhaps  a  more  permanent 
resident  of  the  localities  which  it  inhabits  than  any  other  on  our  coast,  unless 
it  be  the  sculpins.  There  is  very  little  evidence  of  a  tendency  to  move 
to  and  from  the  shore  with  a  change  of  season.  'Winter  and  summer,  they 
appear  to  ])e  ecpially  almndant  from  New  York  to  the  Bay  of  Chaleur, 
where,  in  the  tide-way  of  Miramichi  River,  they  are  cauglit  in  winter 
through  holes  in  the  ice.  In  Labrador  they  are  described  as  exceedingly 
abundant  in  summer,  l)ut  nothing  is  known  of  their  winter  habits.  Prof. 
Jjaird  found  them  scarce  in  Southern  New  Jersey  in  summer,  but 
learned  that  they  were  very  abundant  in  the  bays  in  winter.  Small  (quan- 
tities are  brought  to  Washington  in  winter  from  the  mouth  of  the  Chesa- 
])eake. 

The  spawning  season  occurs  early  in  spring,  in  February  and  March  on 
the  Connecticut  coast,  and  is  thought  to  be  closed  l)y  the  first  part  of 
April.  Young  fish  of  half  an  inch  in  length  are  found  in  July  in  the  deep- 
er parts  of  the  bays  and  sounds,  and  in  August  and  September,  having 
attained  the  length  of  one  and  one-half  to  five  inches,  occur  in  great 
abundance  in  the  coves  and  along  the  sandy  shores  of  the  Southern  New 
I'higland  coast,  in  very  shallow  water.  Their  growth  is  probably  rapid, 
though  it  would  seem  most  likely  that  the  five-inch  specimens  just  referred 
to  were  eighteen  months  rather  than  six  months  old.  The  largest  that 
have  been  discovered  were  fifteen  inches  long,  and  M'ould  weigh  from  one 
to  one  and  a  half  jxuinds. 

The  flesh  of  the  Flat  Fish  is  solid,  white,  and  of  excellent  flavor,  and 
deserves  a  more  general  pojiularity  than  it  has  yet  attained.  It  is,  and 
has  been  for  the  last  century,  largely  consumed  in  New  York  in  winter. 
Schoepf,  writing  in  1776,  mentions  it  as  occurring  in  the  market  in  spring  ; 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AND  I'LOCXDFR. 


later,  writing  in  181.S,  he  states  that  small  numbers  were  found  in  the 
stalls  in  January  and  February,  taken  with  spears  while  searching  lor  eels. 
These  were  not  very  inviting,  owing  to  their  mangled  appearance  and 
frozen  state,  but,  with  the  disappearance  of  ice  and  the  approach  of  spring, 
their  numbers  increased,  and  in  March  the  stalls  were  well  fdled  with  them, 
cheap  and  fresh  and  good.  They  were  only  used  as  pan-fish.  Ciill  wrote, 
in  1S56:  "This  is  the  most  common  species  of  flounder  that  is  brought 
to  the  city  markets  in  the  winter  and  spring  months  ;  it  is  seldom  sold  at 
a  higher  price  than  eight  to  ten  cents  per  pound.  Flounders  are  chielly 
sold  by  the  weight;  occasionally  they  are  strung  through  the  bronchial 
a])ertures  on  twigs  and  nominally  sold  by  the  bunch." 

The  Smooth  Flounder,  or  Christmas  Flounder,  J^/diioiWifi's  i:;/a/>ci\  is 
very  similar  in  habits  and  appearance  to  the  Flat  Fish,  and  is  still  clo^^er 
to  the  Flounder  of  F^urope,  being  a  member  of  the  same  genus.  It  may 
be  distinguished  from  the  former  by  its  smooth  skin,  which  has  given  to 
the  species,  in  some  localities,  the  name  *' F^el-back."  Its  distribution  is 
extremely  limited,  it  having  been  recordt.'d  as  only  found  in  Salem,  Massa- 
chusetts, Portland  and  Belfast,  Maine,  or  within  the  limits  of  two  degrees 
of  latitude.  Its  range  may  in  the  future  be  extended  farther  to  the  north, 
but  it  is  certain  that  at  present  none  occur  south  of  Salem.  In  Casco  15ay 
they  are  very  abundant  in  summer,  and  the  Fish  Commission  secured  great 
{|iiantities  of  them  in  water  three  or  four  fathoms  tleep  in  ISluelight  Cove. 
They  have  never  elsewhere  been  observed,  except  in  winter,  about  Christ- 
mas time,  when  they  come  into  the  harbors  to  spawn.  At  Salem  they  are, 
on  this  account,  called  the  Christmas  Fish.  Considerable  (piantities  are 
caught  every  year  by  spearing  them  upon  the  sand.  At  this  jilac  e  they 
are  also  called  "  F'ool  F'ish,"  because,  in  their  anxiety  for  food,  they  will 
bite  at  any  kind  of  bait,  even  at  a  rag.  The  spawning  season  is  short,  and 
they  soon  retire  into  deeper  water.  At  Portland,  and  in  the  vicinity,  con- 
siderable numbers  are  taken  in  the  winter  fishery  in  comjjany  with  the  Flat 
Fish,  and  with  them  are  sent  to  New  York  and  neigh1)oring  markets.  In 
one  instance  a  quantity  were  offered  for  sale  in  the  markets  of  Washington. 
The  spawning  season  on  the  coast  of  Maine  is  slightly  earlier  than  that 
of  Massachusetts,  beginning  as  early  as  the  middle  of  December,  while  in 
Penobscot  Bay  they  are  taken  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  month,  full  of 
spawn.  In  Penobscot  Bay  they  are  taken  in  traps,  or  '-fliers,"  as  the 
fishermen  call  them,  shaped  something  like  lobster-traps  and  baited.     The 


J-4 


A.^fERICAN  FISHES. 


i     ! 


young  Smootli  Flounder  may  be  taken  in  summer  on  the  beaches.  The 
largest  females  ubser\e(l  weighed  twenty-three  ounces,  the  weight  of  the 
spawn  being  seven  ounces.  Too  little  attention  has  hitherto  been  i)aid  to 
this  fish,  but  it  seems  more  tlian  probable  that  in  the  future  it  will  greatly 
in(  rease  in  fa\()r. 

The  (Irecnland  Turbot,  P/afysoinafic/it/iys  /li-f'poi^/ossoiJrs,  though  never 
occurring  in  our  inshore  waters,  is  found  on  the  off-shore  banks,  as  far 
south  as  ("icorge's  IJank.  and  a  certain  ([uantity  of  them  is  usually  brought 
to  New  York  in  winter.  It  is  emphatically  an  arctic  sjiecies,  being- 
abundant  on  the  coast  t)f  (Ireenland,  often  found  at  Holsteinborg  and 
beyond,  and  along  this  entire  coast  very  eagerly  sought  by  the  natives. 
The  Mskimo  name  is  *"  Kalleraglik,"  and  the  fish  is  also  known  as  "Little 
Halibut."  In  Gunther's  work  on  "  The  Fishes  of  the  British  Museum," 
he  has  confused  this  species  with  the  true  Halibut,  making  it  appear  that 
only  the  former  is  to  be  found  on  the  coast  of  North  America.  In  North- 
ern Cireenland  the  Turbot  is  found  only  at  very  great  de])ths,  and  is  fished 
for,  in  water  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  and  eighty  fath- 
oms, through  holes  in  the  ice,  over  certain  banks  in  Omenak  Fiord  and 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Jacob's-Haven  ice-fiord  which  is  also  packed  with 
great  ice-floes.  It  is  said  to  be  found  only  in  the  ice-fiords  and  between 
the  great  ice-fields,  and  there  only  in  the  coldest  months  of  the  year. 

In  South  (Ireenland  they  are  taken  on  the  oceanic  banks  at  a  depth  of 
sixty  to  one  hundred  and  eiglUy  fathoms,  though  there  considered  to  be 
not  so  abundant  as  in  North  Greenland.  In  Fortune  Bay,  Newfoundland, 
according  to  Captains  G.  Johnson  and  A.  Leighton,  of  Gloucester,  they 
are  very  abundant  in  sixty  to  three  hundred  fathoms,  and  are  caught  chielly 
in  winter.  They  are  also  obtained  by  the  Gloucester  halibut  fleet  on  the 
outer  edge  of  the  oceanic  banks,  in  two  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred 
fathoms  of  water. 

Their  habits  are  not  at  all  well  understood,  but  it  would  appear  from  the 
statement  of  several  experienced  fisherman,  whom  I  have  (questioned,  that 
they  occur  on  the  very  edge  of  the  continental  slope  in  deeper  water  than 
the  true  Halibut,  in  fact  in  places  where  the  slope  is  so  nearly  perpendi- 
cular that  the  Halibut  can  hardly  hold  their  places  on  the  bottom.  This 
species  is  more  symmetrical  than  any  other  of  the  family  on  our  coast,  and^ 
moreover,  is  colored  upon  both  sides  of  the  body — a  fact  which  indicates 
that  its  movements  are  more  like  those  of  the  ordinary  symmetrical  fishes 
caid  that  it  can  rest  with  the  body  in  a  vertical  attitude. 


HALIB L 'T,  FLA TFISII AXD  FL O i 'XDER. 


"»  ■»  e 


It  would  sccni  i)rol)alilc  that  its  chosen  haunts  arc  alonj^  tlic  (IccIIn  itics 
of  the  outer  slope  of  the  continental  plateau,  where  abundance  of  food  is 
known  to  occur,  and  where  otlier  fishes  are  not  so  well  adapted  to  live. 
Many  hundreds  of  pounds  are  caught,  every  year,  on  the  halil)ut  trawls, 
and  the  fish  are  frecpiently  iced  and  brought  to  market  with  the  Halibut, 
and  frequently  eaten  by  the  fishermen  themselves.  The  greater  portion  of 
those  brought  to  New  York  in  winter  are,  however,  taken  on  trawl  lines  at 
the  mouth  of  Fortune  15ay,  and  brought  down  by  the  vessels  which  go  there 
to  secure  cargoes  of  frozen  herring.  It  is  impossible  to  obtain  statistics 
of  the  (piantities  thus  brought  in.  because  the  market  returns  do  not  dis- 
criminate between  the  different  species  of  tlounders  and  llat  lishes. 

The  (Ireenland  Turbot  is  an  exceedingly  palatable  fish,  its  tlesh  being 
firm,  white,  and  less  dry  antl  more  delicate  in  llavor  than  that  of  the  Hal- 
ibut. The  average  weight  is  from  ten  to  twenty-five  pounds.  In  (Ireenland 
they  are  jjerhajjs  more  highly  esteemed  than  any  other  fish.  The  (Ireen- 
landers  begin  fishing  as  soon  as  the  fiords  are  frozen  and  the  white  whales, 
which  prey  greedily  upon  this  fish,  have  left  the  entrances  open.  They 
fish  through  holes  in  the  ice,  and  attach  little  threads  at  intervals  to  lines, 
so  that  they  may  better  see  the  motion  which  the  nibbling  fish  makes. 
Under  favorable  circumstances  a  man  may  take  ten  to  eighteen  of  these 
fishes  daily.  The  fishery  continues  from  January  to  the  middle  of  Main  h, 
sometimes,  however,  only  a  week  or  two,  and  usually  only  about  a  month. 
The  fish  are  cut  into  strips  and  dried  for  the  consumption  of  the  Danish 
colonists.  It  it  said  that  a  very  fine  oil  can  be  made  out  of  their  fat.  so 
that  in  hard  times  the  fish  serves  to  \.-arm  and  light  the  houses  as  well  as 
feed  their  occupants.  In  South  Cireenland  they  are  not  so  numerous,  but 
are  constantly  sought  for,  being  taken  in  company  with  the  sea  perch,  or 
red  fish. 

Glvptoccphalns  cyno\:^lossits,  a  fish  often  known  as  the  Deep-sea 
Flounder,  was  first  observed  on  this  coast  in  1S77,  when  numerous  si)e(  i- 
mens  were  obtained  by  the  United  States  Fish  Commission,  in  the  deep- 
est part  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Specimens  have  since  been  obtained  south 
of  Cape  Cod,  at  a  dei)th  of  one  hundred  fathoms  or  more,  by  the  Fish 
Commission,  and  by  Prof.  Agassiz,  off  the  entrance  to  Delaware  Day, 
at  a  depth  of  three  hundred  anil  ninety-five  fathoms.  The  Pole  Flounder 
appears  to  be  a  permanent  resident,  throughout  the  whole  year,  in  the  tleep 
basins  of  Massachusetts  Bay  and  on  the  edge  of  the  continental  sloi)e,  and 


:l! 


is  found  abundant  in  Bedford  Basin,  tlio  inner  cN]iansion  of  Halifax  Harbor, 
at  a  dcptli  of  t!iirty-SL'\cn  fathoms.  It  ran^^cs  nearly  to  (Irceidand.  and  is 
also  found  on  the  coast  of  Northern  Kurojie.  where  it  is  tound  in  the 
Trondhjem  Fjord,  in  latitude  65",  and  soinh  to  the  coast  of  Ireland.  Its 
thernial  rani;e  ai>iiears  to  be  confined  by  the  limits  ^^4"  and  45". 

It  breeds  abundantlv  in  our  watiTs  in  summer  time,  numerous  indi\iduals, 
full  of  siiawn.  and  youn.L,^  from  half  an  inch  u|i\vard,  haxini;  been  taken. 
tVom  |ul\-  to  ( )ctober,  in  \arious  localities. 

The  Pole  Mounder  has  been  pronounced,  by  all  who  have  tasted  it.  a 
most  delicious  foo'llish.  resembliuLjmore  (  losely  than  any  other  s])e<'ies  on 
our  coa>t  the  l".!iL;lish  Sole.  ha\-ing  a  L,M-eat  ([uantity  of  peculiarly  llaxored 
mu(  ihiLjinous  tissue  about  the  base  of  the  fms  :  it  lias  ne\er  been  taken  by 
our  fishermen,  because,  on  accoimt  of  its  e\ceedinL,dy  small  and  weak 
mouth,  it  could  not  hold  fast  to  an  ordinary  hook  and  line  ;  and.  >iioul(l 
it  e\er  come  intf)  demand,  it  will  be  necessary  for  our  fisherman  tointro- 
du<  e  the  Mn^lish  trawl-net. 

The  Turbot.  or  Steinbutt,  Rliombits  iiiaxiinus,  and  the  llrill.  or  (llatt- 
liutt,  do  not  occur  in  our  waters,  althongh  many  attempts  ha\e  been  made 
to  pro\e  that  they  do.  The  nearest  representative  of  the  Turbot  is  the 
S])otted  Sand  I-'loimder,  Lophof'sctta  inacitldhu  a  spec  ies  found  from  lUicks- 
jiort,  Maine,  to  lM)rt  Macon,  North  Carolina,  variously  known  along  the 
coast  as  Water  Flounder,  ^Vindow-pane,  and  Daylight:  the  latter  name 
refers  to  the  remarkable  thinness  of  the  fish,  its  llesh  being  so  transparent 
thai,  when  held  to  the  light,  the  shadow  of  an  object  on  the  other  side 
can  be  seen.  Its  llavor  is  good,  but  the  amount  of  llesh  is  so  small  that 
it  is  of  no  conseiiuence  as  a  food-fish.  There  are  other  smaller  repr  >e.i- 
tati\es  of  the  family  on  the  southern  coast,  and  in  dee])  \»atjr  uom  Cape 
Cod  s(Mithward,  belonging  to  the  genus  Citluiriclithys,  which,  although 
edible,  are  ne\er  eaten. 

The  Sand  Dab,  or  rough  Dab,  Ilippoglossoiacs  platcssoiih's,  also  some- 
times known  as  the  Rusty  Flounder,  is  taken  in  winter  by  the  line  fisher- 
men of  New  England,  and  small  (piantities  are  doubtless  brought  to  market 
and  sold  \yith  other  flat  fishes  without  discrimination  as  to  species.  It  of- 
ten attains  the  length  of  twenty  to  twenty-four  inches,  and  the  weight  of 
two  to  five  pounds,  and  is,  in  all  respects,  a  desirable  food-fish,  being 
highly  esteemed  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  In  summer,  individ- 
uals of  this  species  are  to  be  found  only  in  very  deep  water,  thirty  fathoms. 


i[.\r.iiH'i\  /■/..I /•-/'/sir  .i.\7)  /■7.(u:v /)/■:/,'.         ;,J7 


or  more,  on  tin-  New  I'liitlaiid  cDast.  and,  thon^di  nrwr  \cry  alumdant  in 
any  one  locality.  nii,L;lit  In'  takt-ii  in  (  on^ideralik' (jiiantitics.  in  coiniianv 
wiili  the  Pole  Moiuuler,  liy  the  u^e  ot"  a  trawl-nel,  or  e\en  hy  speci.illy 
devised  trawMines. 

■|'lie  Koii^h  I  )a!i  has  not  been  ol)ser\ed  >outli  ot"  \\'ciii(ls  1  !■  ill.  Ma>sa(  hu- 
setts,  but  raiiLjes  north  to  (Ireeid.md.  is  aliimdant  on  the  r,ii,uli>h  coast, 
and  is  a  \velM<no\vn  tood-ri>li  ot' S(  anilina\  ia.  Its  Iireedin^;  habits  in  (Mir 
waters  lia\e  not  been  observed.  bi;t  in  Soutl.ern  Sweden  the  spawnin^j  time 
is  in  April  and  Ma\-.  It  is  a  lari,'-e-moiithe(l  spec  ies.  feedinLj  upon  I'lsh  as 
well  as  upon  lari^'e  imertebvates,  su(  h  as  crusta(  cans  and  annelids,  atnl 
mention  has  been  made  of  it  more  on  account  ot"  its  possible  \ahic  in  the 
future  than  for  its  importance  at  the  present  time. 


Tin;  AMKiacAV  soi.k  ur  iiiif;rii(iKKU. 

Tlie  much-])rizod  Solo  of  Muroiie,  So/ra  rv/ /;,■•, 7 /-/..■.  does  not  occur  in  the 
Western  Atlantic,  although  attempts  are  being  made  to  introduce  it,  and 
individuals  have  been  set  free  in  Massachusetts  l>ay,  at  Woods  Holl, 
and  ot"f  Coney  Island.  Its  nearest  representative,  the  American 
Sole,  is  found  along  our  coast  from  Uoston  and  Xahant  to  the  mouth  cf 
the  Mississijipi  River.  It  occtu's  in  all  of  the  rivers  south  of  the  Sus(iue- 
hanna,  and  is  taken  in  great  numbers  in  the  shad  seines.     It  rarely  attain:; 


I  !i 


I 


a  greater  kngth  tlian  six  inches,  and.  tlioiij^H  cdiMe,  is  never  eaten,  and 
it  must  be  regarded  as  of  extrenielv  small  imimrtance.  There  are  also  two 
or  three  other  fishes  belonging  to  tliis  family  in  our  Southern  waters  which 
are  insignifu  ant  in  si/e  and  of  no  imjiortanc  e  whatever. 

Aphoristia  atriiwida  \<,  a  very  small  species  of  Sole,  the  only  genuine 
representative  of  the  I'luropean  Sole  on  our  J'acific  (oast.  It  reaches  a 
length  of  six  inc  hes,  and  is  occasionally  taken  in  San  l)iego  Bay.  It  has 
no  economic  value. 

Ti'Kiior  AND  Soi.r,  in  A.mkuka. — .\  I'hiladelphia  writer  has  lately  tried 
in  the  newspapers  to  re\  ive  the  long-obsolete  belief  that  tlie  Turbot  and 
Sole  of  I'lurope  occur  on  our  coast.  Although  he  has  never  :een  them 
himself,  and  fails  to  bring  forward  evidence  that  any  one  else  has  seen 
them,  he  insists  that  they  occm-  in  the  greatest  abundance  in  New  Jersey, 
])articularly  in  the  vicinity  of  Atlantic-,  "and  doubtless  all  along  the  At- 
lantic coast  from  Tortsmouth,  N.  11..  to  Wilmington,  S.  C."  {sic)  He 
iil)braids  the  American  |iublic  for  their  incredulity,  though  this  does  not 
surprise  him  so  much  when  he  calls  to  mind  that  "our  (lovernment  Fish 
Commissoner  has  actually  contemplated  sending  a  steamer  to  I'aiglisli 
waters  to  i)rocure  turbot-seed  to  i)lant  along  our  shores."  He  would  not 
be  surprised  if  incredulity  were  to  continue  longer  "  under  such  official 
indorsement."  He  accounts  for  the  ignorance  regarding  them  by  the 
theory  that  the  English  trawl-net  is  unknown  in  America,  and  that  our 
fishermen  would  not  know  how  to  catch  such  fish  if  they  were  aware  of 
their  presence,  and  have  not  become  aware  of  their  presence  because  they 
have  no  means  of  catching  them.  He  intimates  that  he  is  prepiaring  to 
form  a  comjiany  for  the  purpose  of  developing  a  turbot  fishery  upon  our 
coast  ;  an  enterprise  "  in  which  but  little  will  be  risked,  and  the  results 
will  be  a  surprise  to  all."  He  closed  one  of  his  letters  to  a  New  York 
journal  with  tlie  ajipeal  :  "I  trust  that  )ou  will  not  let  this  c^uestion  suit- 
side,  but  jjcrsist  in  calling  attention  to  it  until  we  do  away  with  the  ex- 
traordinary anomaly  of  this  enlightened  nation  being  within  reach  of 
treasure  that  for  more  than  a  century  they  have  been  unaware  of  and  have 
remained  persistently  blind  to." 

All  this  is  very  entertaining,  and  furnishes  a  neat  text  for  a  few  remarks 
on  the  history  of  this  belief,  as  well  as  an  opportunity  for  demonstrating 
to  the  public  a  fact  which  has  for  forty  years  or  more  been  known  to  ich- 
thyologists, that  the   Turbot  and   the  Sole   never   have  been  seen  on  the 


HAL  IB  L  "J\  ILA  Tl'/SIf  AXD  I- 1,  i )  I  XDER. 


y-') 


western  side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  nL\ei-  will  lie.  unless  tln')  are  introdiurd 
1)\  artilH  ial  means. 

Frciin  tlie  liej^'inninj,'  to  the  end  we  encounter  the  well-known  sonn  es  of 
conlusion — the  gi\  in^j  of  old-world  nanies  to  spe*  ies  wlii(  h  n  sendde  in  a 
Ueiieral  way  the   old-world   species  which  liear  tiiein.  and  the  Mn(|iiesti(in 
ini;   a((  I'ptaiK  e  of  these   names  as   authoritative,  by   persons  wiuj  are  not 
trained  to  (lose  discrimination. 


When  lloston  was  o(  <  iipied  hy  the  Uritish  <lurin,L;  the  I\e\dlntionary 


war 


the  ot'ticers  of  the  lleet  are  sai<l  to  ha\e  heen  lioiintihilly  sup]ilied  with 
'i'urliot,  which  was  caught  in  the  nei^diborhood  of  an  outer  harhor.  This 
fa(  t  is  recorded  by  l)r.  j.  \'.  C.  Smith,  in  his  "  Natural  History  of  the 
l'"ishes  of  Massachusetts"  (IJoston.  1S33),  on  the  authority  of  William 
l.add,  es(p,  of  Maine.  lie  also  mentions  "  a  statement  of  Mr.  Parker, 
the  (onductor  of  the  marine  telei^raph,"  who  told  him  that  "many  \ears 
bel'ore.  Admirable  Sir  Isaac  Coffin  brouLjht  out  to  this  (ountry  a  trawl-net. 
su(  h  as  is  used  on  the  coast  of  Holland,  for  takini,^  Sole  for  the  London 
markets,  with  which  he  siuceedeil  in  cajjturint,'  that  delightful  fish  in  Ips- 
wich IJav.  whi(  h  was  not  before  supposed  to  exist  here."  The  fishes  t'ound 
in    this   manner  were   no  doubt  the  (  ommon  Flat  Fishes  of  Massa<  husetts 


11 


av 


'{"he   common   Flounder,  Paraiicltf/ivs  driifiUiis,  taken  in  Trovi 


ter,    where   it   is  usuallv  called    "  I'laice 


IK  e 


was    in    i  SSo  sold  in 


town    wa 

IJoston  under  the  name  "Turbot."  Captain  Mackinnon.  of  the  ko\;d 
N'a\  \ .  who  visited  this  country  in  1S50,  conceiveil  the  idea  that  Turbot 
ought  to  be  found  on  the  shores  of  the  United  States,  and  took  pains  to 
search  for  them  with  a  trawl-net.  The  nets  which  he  used  had  been  im- 
jiorted  ten  years  before  by  Mr.  Nathan  Smith,  an  American  gentleman, 
who  had  hoped  to  introduce  them,  but  had  never  used  them.  Captain 
Mac  kinnon  tried  one  net  at  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  and  succ  eeded  in 
taking  a  number  of  ilifferent  kinds  of  Flat  Fish.  He  carefidly  refrained, 
however,  from  ])ronouncing  any  one  of  them  to  be  identical  with  the  Tur- 
bot or  Sole,  though  from  the  vagueness  of  his  language  it  is  evident  that 
his  ichthyological  knowledge  was  very  scanty,  and  that  he  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  observe  the  differences  between  the  different  species  of  llshes 
which  somewhat  resemble  each  other.  His  experiences  are  described  at 
length  in  his  book  of  travels,  entitled  "Atlantic  and  Trans-Atlantic 
Sketches,  Atloat  and  Ashore  "  (Harper  iS:  Bros.,  New  York,  ]cS5j,  jip.  166- 
170).      Capt.  C.  C.  Churchill,  U.  S.  A.,  who    saw    the    results  of  Capt. 


33° 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\i 


Mackinnon's  experiment,  tells  me  that  the  fish  taken  were  the  common 
species  of  New  England  flat-fishes  and  floimders. 

We  fancy  that  the  inspiration  of  the  new  advocate  of  the  turbot-in- 
America  question,  as  well  as  the  information  upon  which  he  bases  his  con- 
clusion, was  drawn  from  this  very  same  book  of  Capt.  Mackinnon,  for 
he  uses  many  of  the  same  phrases,  and  he  repeats,  in  almost  the  same 
words,  Captain  Mackinnon's  statement:  "The  fish  marVets  in  America 
are  not  all  in  keeping  with  the  size  and  wealth  of  the  States,"  a  statement 
which,  however  true  it  may  have  been  thirty  years  ago,  will  be  amusing  to 
any' one  who  has  recently  had  opportunity  to  compare  the  fish  markets  of 
America  and  Euroj^e.  This  ingenious  Philadelphia  savant  sums  uj)  his 
evidence  as  follows  : 

"The  Turbot,  Sole,  and  Plaice  are,  however,  in  abundance  in  your 
deep-water  sand  banks.  They  were  caught  there  in  i  S 1 2  by  English  sailors, 
and  in  18S0  Turbot  have  been  obtained  off  Atlantic  City,  if  the  'Balti- 
more American'  is  any  authority." 

The  notion  that  the  introduction  of  the  English  trawl  in  America  wouM 
be  novel  and  would  at  once  open  up  a  field  for  a  fishery  industry  of  bound- 
less extent,  deserves  a  word.  The  trawl  has  been  assiduously  used  by  the 
summer  collecting  party  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  for  ten 
vears  past,  and  also  by  Prof.  Agassiz  upon  various  exploring  trips.  The 
steamers  of  the  Fish  Commission  have  used  it  on  every  portion  of  the 
coast,  from  Yucatan  to  Halifax.  Prof.  Agassiz  has  used  it  in  the 
Crulf  of  Mexico  and  on  the  coast  of  Florida,  and  has  emjijloyed 
it  in  running  five  lines  of  research  at  right  angles  to  the  coast  from  Cai)e 
Hatter.-is.  at  points  nearly  equidistant  between  Charleston  and  Cape  Cod, 
one  of  them  directly  out  from  the  entrance  to  Delaware  Bay.  The 
dredgings  of  the  Fish  Commission  were  carried  from  near  the  shore  to  a 
depth  of  nearly  five  miles  in  the  open  sea,  and  covered  a  very  wide  area 
of  the  ocean  bottom. 

In  1854  I'rof.  Baird  made  a  careful  exploration  of  the  coast  of  New  Jer- 
sey witn  especial  reference  ti''  the  fishes,  and  since  that  time  every  stretch 
of  coast  line  from  Brownsville,  Texas,  to  Eastport,  Me.,  has  been 
thoroughly  investigated  by  the  naturalists  of  the  United  States  Fish  Com- 
mission. It  is  true  that  a  new  species  of  fish  is  occasionally  discovered,  but 
the  new  fishes  always  belong  to  one  of  two  classes.  They  are  either 
swift-swimming  species,  members  of  the  West  Indian  fauna,   which  come 


I 


HALIBUT,  FLAT-FISH  AND  FLOUNDFR. 


upon  our  northern  shores  in  summer,  or  they  are  inhabitants  of  waters 
more  than  six  hinidred  feet  deep,  which  have  never  previously  been 
explored.  The  Turbot  and  the  Sole  are  shallow-water  species,  and,  had 
they  occurred  in  our  waters,  would  have  been  discovered  many  years  ai,^). 

There  are  twenty-six  s]iecies  of  flat  fishes  on  the  east  coast  of  the  United 
States.  Four  of  these  belong  to  the  same  family  with  the  Sole,  but  are 
utterly  worthless  as  articles  of  food.  The  nearest  relative  of  the  Sole  is 
often  called  the  .American  Sole,  Achinis  /iiica/iis,  and  is  known  on  the 
coast  of  New  Jersey  as  the  liog-choker.  Cover-clip,  or  Co\er.  Of  the 
flat  fishes  only  two  arc  positively  unfit  for  food,  and  these  two,  strangely 
enough,  are  the  representatives  of  the  sub-family  RJioin/>i/i(r,  to  which 
belong  the  Turbot  aud  lirill  of  Kurojie.  One  of  these  Lopliopsctta  maiii- 
laita,  is  sometimes  called  the  Spotted  Turbot,  and  in  New  Jersey  is  called 
Window-pane,  or  Daylight,  because  it  is  so  thin  that  when  held  to  the 
light  the  sun  can  be  seen  through  its  translucent  flesh. 

The  most  important  Flat  Fish  is  the  Halibut,  which  is  identical  with 
that  of  Europe.  This  species,  and  the  Pole  Flounder,  whi(li  has  recently 
been  brouglit  to  light  in  our  waters  by  the  Fish  Commission,  are  the  only 
two  cf  the  number  referred  to  that  are  found  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlan- 
tic. We  have  in  our  waters  abundance  of  flat  fishes,  some  of  which,  for 
instance,  the  common  Flounder  of  the  New  York  market,  raraliclitl:\s 
ilciita/us,  are  probably  fully  ecpial  to  the  turbot  for  food  uses.  In  fact,  it 
may  be  had  in  the  New  York  restaurants  and  hotels  under  this  nauK-. 
Another  fish,  Platysoiiiatichthys  /lippoj^lossoidcs,  resembling  the  Turbot  in 
flavor,  is  sometimes  l)rought  to  New  York  in  winter.  It  is  foiuid  at  great 
depths  on  the  coast  of  Newfoundland,  and  is  often  called  the  American 
or  the  Newfoundland  turbot.  The  Pole  Flounder  is  very  similar  to  the 
sole  in  flavor  and  in  the  textuie  of  its  flesh,  l)Ut  it  unfortunately  inhabits 
somewhat  inaccessible  localities  at  great  depths,  and  it  is  hardly  to  be  ex- 
pected that,  with  the  present  supply  of  excellent  food-fish  to  be  obtained 
at  so  much  smaller  expense,  our  fishermen  will  take  the  pains  to  go  in 
search  of  it.  That  the  popular  taste  for  flat  fish  is  already  cultivated  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that,  in  1S79,  1,796,000  pounds  were  sold  in  New  York 
alone. 

It  is  needless  to  refer  to  the  efforts  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commis- 
sion to  introduce  Sole;  they  are  lamiliar  to  all  who  are  interested  in  the 
subject.       The   introduction  of   the  trawl-net  has  Deen  for  many  years 


33^ 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


under  consideration,  but  this  expensive  mode  of  fishing  does  not  seem  to 
be  required  at  j)resent,  since  the  supply  of  fine-flavored  food-fishes  is  more 
than  e(iual  to  the  demand.  With  an  eye  to  the  interest  of  the  American 
fishermen,  Prof.  Baird  some  years  ago  detailed  Capt.  J.  W.  Collins,  of  the 
Fish  Commission,  one  of  the  most  experienced  fishermen  of  Massachusetts, 
to  stuily  the  trawl  fishery  of  the  (ierman  Ocean,  and  his  report  which  is 
in  press,  will  soon  be  published. 

Finally,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  state  that  Mr.  E.  (}.  Blackford,  of  Ful- 
ton Market,  New  York,  has  for  some  time  been  authorized  by  the  Com- 
missioner of  Fisheries  to  pay  twenty-five  dollars  to  any  one  who  should 
present  a  true  Turbot  or  a  true  Sole,  caught  on  the  coast.  This  offer  is 
still  standing. 


i  i; 


THE  COD  Uli  liACrAI.AO. 

COD,  POLLOCK,  HADDOCK  AND  HAKE. 


T'was  merry,  when 
^"ou  wager'il  on  your  aiijjliiig  ;   wlicii  ymir  diver 
Did  hang  a  salt  fish  on  his  liuuk,  which  lie 
With  fervency  drew  up. 

.Intlioiiy  ami  Clcopatru,  Act  ii  Scene  v. 


Within  ti-.is  twenty  ye.irs 
\\'eitward  be  found  new  lands, 

Fish  they  have  so  great  plenty, 

That  in  havens  take  and  slane  they  be 

With  staves,  withouten  fail, 

Now  Krenchmen  and  others  have  found  the  trade 

That  yearly  of  fish  there  they  lade 

Abo\  .   '  hundred  sail, 

ExPEKiENS,   The  Four  Ell iiients,  1519. 


'TPHE  Codfish  and  its  allies  constitute,  rrom  an  economical  point  of  view, 
the  most  important  of  all  the  families  of  fishes,  containing,  as  it  tloes, 
a  large  number  of  species,  most  of  them  of  considerable  size,  distributed 
throughout  all  jjarts  of  the  northern  hemisphere,  usually  found  together  in 
great  numbers,  readily  captured,  and  easily  preserved  for  future  use. 

The  codfish  is  usually  found  in  the  North  Atlantic,  in  the  North  Pacific, 
and  in  the  Polar  Ocean,  its  range  extending  far  beyond  the  Arctic  Circle. 
It  seems  unnecessary  to  enumerate  all  the  localities  in  which  it  has  l>een 
observed,  for  its  geograi)hical  range  may  be  defined  with  sufficient  accu- 
racy by  a  much  more  comprehensive  statement.  In  the  Western 
Atlantic  the  species  occurs  in  the  winter  in  considerable  abundance  as 
far  south  as  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,   lat.   37°,  and  stragglers 


334 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


have  been  observed  about  Ocracoke  Inlet.  The  southern  limit  of  this 
species  may  safely  be  considered  to  be  Cape  Hatteras,  in  lat.  35°,  10'. 
Along  the  coast  of  the  Middle  States,  New  England,  and  British  North 
America,  and  upon  all  the  off-shore  banks  of  this  region,  Cod  are  found 
usually  in  great  abundance  during  i)art  of  the  year  at  least.  They  have 
been  observed  also  in  the  Gulf  of  Boothia,  lat.  70°  to  75°,  and  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  Baffin's  Land  to  the  northward  of  Cumberland 
Sound,  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that  they  occur  in  the  waters,  of  the 
Arctic  Sea  to  the  north  of  the  American  continent,  or  away  round  to 
Bchring's  Straits. 

The  Cod  has  been  observed  on  the  Western  coast  of  Greenland.  In  the 
North  Atlantic  the  range  of  the  species  extends  to  Iceland  and  Spitzber- 
gen,  lat.  80°  ;  along  the  arctic  coast  of  Europe,  as  far  as  Eastern  Fin- 
mark,  and  probably  round  to  Siberia ;  while  southward  it  ranges  at  least 
to  Brittany.  Its  southern  limit  is  probably  near  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  lat. 
40°,  although  Yarrell  states  that  it  is  found  south  to  Gibraltar.  It  does 
not  enter  the  ISIediterranean,  but  penetrates  into  the  Baltic  to  the  coast  of 
Western  Russia.  Its  distribution  in  the  North  Pacific  is  not  so  well 
understood,  though  it  appears  to  occur  in  the  same  abundance  on  all  the 
off-shore  banks  of  this  region,  and  also  close  to  the  coasts  to  the  north  of 
the  Straits  of  Fuca.  According  to  Jordan,  there  is  said  to  be  a  cod  bank 
outside  of  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  but  the  species  at  present  is  of  no 
economic  importance  south  of  Alaska. 

The  (^od,  like  most  other  species  which  migrate  to  and  from  the  shore 
instead  of  northward  and  southward,  is,  doubtless,  more  dependent  upon 
temperature  conditions  than  fishes  like  the  menhaden  and  the  blue-fish, 
and,  Mr.  Earll  has  suggested,  the  abundance  of  food  doubtless  has  much 
more  influence  upon  its  movements.  We  cannot  doubt,  however,  that 
the  Cod  moves  periodically  to  and  from  the  shore  as  a  direct  result  of 
the  seasonal  changes  of  temperature.  The  Cod  prefers  a  temperature  of 
from  35°  to  42°  Fahr. ,  approximately,  and  this  it  secures  in  a  temperate 
climate,  such  as  that  of  Southern  New  England,  by  remaining  on  the  off- 
shore banks  in  fifteen  to  thirty  fathoms  of  water,  coming  into  the  shallows 
in  winter.  On  the  coasts  of  Labrador,  Newfoundland,  Nova  Scotia,  and 
Eastern  Maine,  moving  to  and  from  the  shore  from  deeper  to  shallower 
water  and  vice  versa  to  secure  at  different  seasons  of  the  year  a  tempera- 
ture environment  best  suited  to  their  needs,  they  are  near  the  shore  in 
-summer  and  in  deej)  water  in  winter. 


COD,  POLLOCK,  HADDOCK  AXD  I  TAKE. 


0  0  5 


I  ha\c'  before  nie  the  statements  of  nearly  a  Inindred  observers  \vlii(  li  I 
hope  to  discuss  more  fully  at  some  future  time.  Their  oinnions  confirm, 
in  a  very  striking  manner,  the  generalization  just  stated.  The)-  show  that 
while  on  the  coast  of  Maine  the  Cod  leave  the  immediate  shores  in  the 
autumn,  not  reappearing  in  any  considerable  numbers  until  late  in  the 
following  spring,  south  of  Cai)e  Cod  they  approach  the  >lH)re  only  in  the 
winter  season,  while  during  the  summer  they  kee])  out  in  the  cold  Labra- 
bor  current,  which  extends  south  to  the  inside  of  the  current  of  tlie  Culf 
stream.  In  Vineyard  Sound,  Buzzard's  IJay,  and  off  the  shores  of 
Connecticut,  New  York,  Delaware,  New  Jersey,  and  e\en  in  Eastern 
Virginia,  there  is  excellent  fishing  during  the  winter  season.  ••  .\.  wise 
jirovision  of  nature,"  remarks  Prof.  Ijairil,  '•  in  the  absence  of  so  many 
species  that  supply  food  during  the  smnmer." 

It  will  probably  be  found  that  fishing  in  deeper  wate.-  in  tliese  same 
regions  in  summer  will  bring  to  light  an  al)un(lance  of  Ctul. 

In  Norway  they  are  caught,  to  some  extent,  in  the  fiords  in  the  summer 
season,  though  more  are  caught  in  winter,  while  in  summer  great  numbers 
of  them  still  remain  on  the  off-shore  banks. 

From  Prof.  Hind's  pen  the  following  paragraphs  are  taken  : 

"  When  the  coasts  of  Finmark  are  thronged  with  fisliermen  catching 
their  fares  of  the  "Lodde,"  or  summer  Cod,  the  shores  of  Northeast  New- 
foundland and  the  shore  of  the  Culf  of  St.  Lawrence  are  alive  with 
fishermen  successfully  capturing  the  same  variety  of  fish  in  Pritish 
American  waters  ;  and  when  the  Russian  on  the  Murmanian  coast  is  laying 
in  his  winter  stock  of  Cod,  and  accumulating  a  large  overplus  for  a  foreign 
market,  the  New  Foundlander  and  the  I.abradorian  are  sec  iiring  their 
fares  at  the  Moravian  missionary  stations.  Okak  and  Nain.  So.  also,  in 
the  North  Sea  and  on  the  coast  of  the  British  Isles,  around  the  Faroe 
Islands,  all  along  the  Icelandic  shores,  on  the  south  coast  of  Creenlar.d, 
off  Arksut  Fiord,  away  up  north  to  Torske  Banks,  and  clown  the  Atlantic 
coast  of  America  to  over  the  Crand  Banks,  and  as  far  as.  and  even  beyond, 
St.  George's  Shoal,  the  Cod  is  taken  simultaneously  and  in  great 
abundance. 

"Local  variations  of  days,  ancl  even  weeks,  occur  in  a  c-oast  line  or 
.stretch  of  shallow  sea  of  not  more  than  one  hundred  miles  in  length  ;  but 
these  arise  from  the  one  great  leading  cause  which  guides  the  Cod  in  its 
ai)proach  to  known  feeding  grounds  on  the  coast  or  known  banks  at  sea. 
This  leading  cause  is  temperature,  which  determines  the  movement  towards 
the  coast  of  the  various  forms  of  marine  life  on  which  the  Cod,  inhabiting 
different  waters,  is  accustomed  to  feed.       •      •      •      The   Cod,    caught  on 


i 


33^ 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


each  stretch  of  coast  line  within  variable  but  tolerably  well-defined  limits, 
are  indigenous  to  the  sea  area  adjacent  to  the  sea-coast  which  tliey 
fre(iuent. 

"Thus  the  winter  haunts  of  the  Codfish  on  the  Northern  Labrador 
coast  are  sloi)es  of  the  great  range  of  outside  banks  on  that  coast.  The 
summer  haunts  of  the  '  Winter  Cod  '  caught  on  the  coast  of  Norway 
during  the  winter  season,  are  on  the  slope  of  the  '  Storegg  '  and  its  con- 
tinuations which  lie  seawards  from  the  Norwegian  coast,  following  the 
etlge  of  the  barrier  separating  the  'polar  deejis '  from  the  shallower 
costal  seas.  The  seasonal  movements  of  the  Cod  are  reversed  in  this 
case,  ])uri)osely  introduced,  but  have  afforded  a  beautiful  illustration  (>f 
the  principles  adopted  and  confirmed  by  Prof.  Baird  and  the  influence  of 
marine  climate  on  fish-life." 

The  depth  at  which  Codfish  are  found  varies  greatly  with  the  season 
and  locality.  It  is  stated  by  Mr.  Earll  that  they  secrn  to  prefer  water 
less  than  seventy  fathoms  deep,  and  that  by  far  the  greater  numbers  are 
caught  in  from  eight  to  forty  fathoms.  This  generalization  will  doubtless 
hold  true  for  the  whole  coast  of  North  America.  Many  of  our  corre- 
spondents state  that  they  are  occasionally  seen  in  the  water  two  or  three 
feet  in  depth.  In  tlie  course  of  some  recent  explorations  by  Prof.  Agassiz, 
Cod  were  found  three  hundred  fathoms  below  the  surface. 

In  February,  1879,  there  was  good  fishing  in  three  fathoms  of  water, 
within  a  few  rods  of  the  shore  in  Ipswich  Bay,  while  in  May  of  the  same  year 
large  numbers  were  taken  in  one  hundred  and  ten  fathoms  in  the 
channel  near  Clarke's  Bank. 

It  woukl  be  extremely  interesting  to  know  the  extent  of  the  migrations 
of  Codfish,  from  deep  to  shallow  water  and  back  again,  on  different  parts 
of  the  coast.  This,  however,  varies  with  local  conditions.  There  have 
already  been  many  observations  made,  the  study  of  which  will  doubtless 
aid  in  the  solution  of  this  problem,  but  it  is  exceedingly  important  that 
there  should  be  systematic  exploration  at  a  distance  from  the  shore  both 
in  winter  and  summer.  This  is  one  of  the  tasks  proposed  for  the  Fish 
Commission  schooner  "Grampus,"  recently  constructed.  Mr.  Marcus  A. 
Hanna,  of  Bowery  Beach,  Me.,  states  that  he  knows  certain  places  on  the 
coast  of  Maine  where  Cod  are  found  in  mid-summer  not  more  than  two 
miles  from  land,  in  water  from  forty  to  fifty  fathoms  deep,  and  upon  soft 
bottom.  A  portion  of  the  Gloucester  George's  Bank  fleet  continues 
fishing  through  the  winter  months,  though  at  this  season  the  vessels  do 
not,  as  in  spring  and  summer,  fish  upon  the  shallow  parts  of  the  bank. 


COD,  POLLOCK,   HADDOCK  AXD  IfAKE. 


337 


o 
ft 
:s 
o 


but  rather  seek  tlie  deep  waters  around    its  e<lL(e.      Tlie   fisli  make  tluir 
ai)i)earaiK'e,  however,  on  the  bank  early  in  February. 

Cod  may  be  found  in  greater  or  less  number  within  rea(  h  oi  the  land 
from  lilock  Island  to  Newfoundland,  and  perhaps  to  Labrador,  at  all  st^a- 
sons  of  the  year.  South  of  lUoek  Lsland,  Codfish  are  very  rarely  ik  iiced 
in  summer,  even  in  the  deepest  water  freijuented  by  the  fishermen,  though  a 
few  remain  on  the  grounds  in  the  vicinity  of  the  islands  during  the  whole 
summer. 

In  the  waters  from  Cape  Cod  to  Cape  Ann,  and  perhaps  a  little  further 
to  the  north,  we  find  the  district  in  whicli  the  baliiic  migraticuis  of  the 
(Codfish  are  least  ajjparent,  the  periodical  changes  in  depth  being  but 
slight  from  winter  to  summer — the  fish  being  within  easy  reach  of  the 
fishermen  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Even  here,  however,  there  is  a  great 
increment  in  their  numbers  in  winter. 

The  statements  which  have  been  made  regarding  the  periotlii  al  move- 
ments or  the  Cod  I  do  not  by  any  means  consider  satisfac  t(jry  or  final. 
These  movements  are  the  results  of  many  infiuences,  and  no  one  yet 
understands  how  much  weight  to  attach  to  the  relati\e  importance  of 
these  three  influences,  /.  c,  (i)  the  direct  effect  of  temperature  \\\ww  the 
fish  themselves ;  (2)  the  abundance  of  food,  as  affected  by  temperature 
and  other  causes  ;  and  (3)  the  immediate  relations  between  temperature 
and  the  reproductive  habits  of  the  fish.  There  is  no  more  difticult  problem 
in  ichthyological  science. 

Mr.  J.  Carson  Brevoort,  of  New  York,  contributes  the  following  inter- 
esting sketch  of  the  names  a[)plied  to  the  cod  family  by  the  different 
nations  of  Europe  : 

"  The  appellations  under  whicli  the  weather-dried  C()(lli>li.  split  and 
stretched  on  a  short  stick,  is  known  throughout  the  civili/ed  world  can  all 
be  traced  to  one  common  root,  based  upon  the  mode  of  preparation  hu 
the  market. 

"  Among  the  Greeks  the  large  Codfish  were  called  BaccJil,  from  I5ac- 
chus,  a  rod.  By  the  Latins  the  fish  was  named  G(u/its,  from  a  Sandst  rit 
root  cad  or  gad,  a  rod.  We  find  this  root  in  English  in  'goad,'  and 
perhaps,  in  '  cat-o' -nine-tail ';  in  Caelic  gad  and  goda/i,  signifying  a 
small  rod.  By  the  Iberians  the  dried  Cod  were  c-alled  Bacalaos,  from 
Baculeum,  a  small  stick.*  This  points  also  to  the  root  of  the  Fren(  h 
Baguette,  a  rod,  Bilboquet,  the  toy  known  as  cup  and  ball,   really  a  stick 


♦The  rod  lield  by  Mercury  was  called  a  HacuUnm. 


V 


I 


35ii 


AMERICA X  FISHES. 


and  l)all,  and  otlicr  words.  By  the  Anglo-Saxons  it  was  called  the  Cod, 
from  the  \\oy{\  ^iri/  or  ^i^odi/,  a  rod.  By  tht  (lernians  it  was  known  as  the 
Sfockfisi/i,  from  S/oi'k,  a  stick. 

"  i'he  Hollanders  varied  a  little  from  this,  and  as  far  back  as  the  year 
1400  called  it  the  Kabeljaamv,  which  seems  to  be  from  the  Dutch  gabcl, 
a  fork.      'I'hey  also  called  it  the  Bakkcljauuc. 

"  The  French  Monte  is  not  from  the  above  root.  It  may  be  from  the 
Celtic  ^f<>r,  the  sea.  The  French,  however,  never  pre])ared  the  Cod  by 
drying  it  on  a  stick,  but  salted  it  as  the  Monic  vcrtc,  or  green  Cod.  The 
French  Moliic  is  merely  a  change  in  the  liquid  consonants. 

"  When  the  Cod  is  dried  on  the  downs  it  is  called  Dunfish,  from  the 
(iaelic  root  Dttiti,  a.  hill.  If  dried  on  the  rocks  it  becomes  the  Rock  Cod, 
or  tile  Klippfisk  of  the  Norwegians.  Among  these  last  the  Cod  is  called 
the  Dorset,  or  Torsk,  in  I'lnglish  Tusk,  from  the  Gothic  Durrcn,  to  dry. 

"  Tlie  I'Jiglish  'Aberdeen  fish,'  or  French  Labcrdaii,  is  from  the 
Ciaelic  (?/'(?;•,  the  mouth;  dccn,  a  river,  or  fish  caught  near  the  river's 
mouth." 

These  remarks  are  suggestive  in  the  extreme,  since  they  explain  the 
origin  of  almost  all  of  the  names  now  applied  to  this  species  both  in  its 
fresh  and  cured  condition."" 

The  name  by  which  this  species  was  known  among  the  Narragansett 
Indians  is  indicated  by  the  following  sentence  from  Roger  William's 
"  Key  into  the  Languages  of  America"; 

"  Panganaut,  tamwock.  Cod,  which  is  the  first  that  comes  a  little 
before  the  Spring." 

In  tiie  ^•icinity  of  Cape  Ann  the  young  Cod,  too  small  to  swallow  a 
bait,  are  sometimes  known  to  the  fishermen  as  "  Pickers,"  and  through- 
out all  Eastern  Massachusetts  the  name  *' Scrod,"  or  "Scrode,"  is  in 
common  use.  In  its  ])rimary  meaning  it  seems  to  refer  to  these  small 
fish  slightly  corned,  in  which  condition  they  are  a  favorite  article  of  food, 
but  the  name  is  also  transferred  to  the  young  fish  themselves.  The 
fishermen  recognize  several  varieties  of  Cod  for  which  they  have  different 
names.  Rock  Cod  are  those  which  are  found  in  shoal  water  among  the 
reefs  and  ledges,  and  Avhich  usually  are  of  a  dark  color  ;  these  fish  are 
often  brilliant  red  in  color,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  small  animals  upon 
which  they  live  feed  upon  the  red  algoe,  abundant  in  those  localities,  and 


*Ske;it  in  liis  Ktyniolii.i;ic;il  Dictionary,  recently  juiblislicd,  docs  not  coiilirni  the  views  atlv.inccd  by  Mr. 
lircvuiMt,  reni;irking;  "1  suppose  that  tliis  woril  coil  must  lie  tlie  same  as  tlie  Middle  ]Mij;!isli  Cixfifc  or  coi/,  a 
husl<,  bag,  bolster;  thouuli  the  reseniMance  of  the  fisli  to  a  bolster  is  but  fanciful.  It  is  obvious  that  Shakes- 
peare knew  nothing  of  the  Linna:an  name  gitUiis  ((jreck  ya.&o<i),  nor  is  the  derivation  of  Ctul  from  gadus  at 
all  satisfactory, 


COD,   POLLOCK.    IfAJyDOCK  J\J)  Jf.lKE. 


3.19 


tic 


in 

ill 

(1, 
ic 

hit 

IC 

irc 


',  a 

es- 
■at 


from  them  they  have  al)sorl)ed  the  red  ( oloriiii;  matter  into  their  tissues. 
"  Roekling  "  are  proljably  young  Rock  Cod.  In  the  vicinity  of  Scituate, 
Mass.,  Rock  Cod  are  also  called  "  Native  Cod." 

Another  class  of  names  appears  to  apply  to  those  fish  which  live  near 
the  shores,  hut  which  are  less  closely  limited  to  the  reefs.  These  are 
called  "Shoal-water  Cod,"  Shore  Cod,"  "  Inshore  Cod,"  '•  Worm-*  od," 
"Clam-Cod,"  "Black  Snappers,"  "  Hlack  lUters,"  "  IJrown  Cod," 
"  Ci  round  Kee[)ers,"  and  "  Clround  Tenders"  or  "  (Iroupers. " 

Still  another  class  of  fish  is  known  by  such  names  as  "  Deep-water 
Cod,"  "Hank  Cod,"  and  "School  Cod. 

There  are  also  certain  local  schools  of  fish  which  have  names  of  their 
own;  for  instance,  the  "Herring  Fish"  or  "Herring  Cod"  of  South- 
eastern Maine,  and  the  "  Stpiid  School  "  of  Nantucket  and  other  parts  of 
the  coast,  the  "  Pasture  School  "  of  Cai)e  Ann,  and  the  so-(  ailed  "  Shad 
School  "  which  frecpiented  Massachusetts  liay  between  1815  ami  1S30. 

In  Southeastern  Maine  the  name  "  Pine-tree  Coil"  is  also  in  use.  It  is 
difficult  at  present  to  determine  exactly  to  what  extent  these  names  are 
used  and  what  their  precise  meaning  may  be,  but  it  is  almost  certain  that 
each  community  of  fishermen  has  its  own  i)eculiar  names  by  which  to 
designate  local  peculiarities  of  habit  and  movement. 

In  the  markets,  the  Cod  from  Cieorge's  Bank  are  usually  classed  as 
"  George's  Fish,"  and  are  considered  to  be  of  superior  value.  George's 
fish  are  very  fat  fish  with  white  "  napes."  This  name  is  becoming  a  com- 
mercial term  to  describe  Codfish  of  the  finest  ijuality.  No  one  of  these 
names,  excepting  Rock  Cod,  or  Red  Cod,  appears  to  be  in  use  in  Great 
Britain,  although  there,  as  here,  there  are  various  names  of  local  signifi- 
cance, which  are  of  little  interest,  however,  to  Americans. 

"Bank  Cod"  and  "Shore  Cod"  are  commercial  names,  used  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  name  "  George's  Cod." 

As  early  as  141 5  A.  D.,  English  vessels  freijuented  the  fishing  grounds 
near  Iceland,  and  it  is  claimed  by  some  authorities  that  the  Banks  of 
Newfoundland  were  known  to  the  Basques  centuries  before  the  discovery  of 
the  American  continent.  The  Banks  of  Newfoundland  were  among  the 
principal  inducements  which  led  the  English  to  establish  colonies  in  this 
country,  and  in  the  records  of  early  voyages  are  many  allusions  to  the 
abundance  of  Cod  along  our  shores. 

A  Nova  Scotia  coin  or  bank-token  has  upon   it   the  figure  of  a  Codfish. 


3JO 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Upon  the  obverse  is  a  i)Io\v  with  the  legend   "Speed  the  IMoiigh."   tipon 
tlie  reverse  a  salted  C'odfish  with  tiie  words,  "  Success  to  the  l'"isheries." 

Codfish  feed  upon  all  marine  animals  smaller  than  themselves  which  are 
found  in  the  same  waters  with  them  and  ?re  digestible.  I'or  a  long  period 
of  years,  l.'efore  our  naturalists  learned  to  use  the  hand-dredge,  a  favorite 
phu  e  in  which  to  search  for  the  rare  invertebrates  of  the  deep  water  was 
the  fish-ilealer's  stall,  and  from  the  stomachs  of  Codfish  scores  of  shells 
new  to  science  have  been  taken.  Since  the  introduction  of  improved 
methods  of  deep-sea  research  the  mode  of  collecting  has  been  somewhat 
less  prosperous,  but  even  at  the  present  time  many  important  additions  to 
zoology  are  yearly  made  by  the  aid  of  this  omnivorous  animal. 

Codfish  swallow  bivalve  shells  of  the  largest  size,  like  the  great  sea 
clams,  which  are  a  favorite  article  of  food  on  certain  portions  of  the  coast ; 
for  instance,  in  I])swich  Bay  great  beds  of  empty  shells  of  the  sea-clam, 
Mactra  oralis,  may  be  found  upon  the  bottom.  These  shells  are 
"nested,"  the  smaller  inside  of  the  larger,  sometimes  six  or  seven  in  a 
set,  having  been  packed  together  in  this  compact  manner  in  the  stomachs 
of  the  Codfish  after  the  soft  parts  have  been  digested  out.  Some  of  them 
had  shreds  of  the  mussels  remaining  in  them  and  were  quite  fresh,  having 
evidently  been  but  recently  ejected  by  the  fish.  In  Dana's  "Geology" 
are  mentioned  great  banks  of  dead  shells  off  the  island  of  Grand  Manan, 
which  doubtless  originated  in  the  same  manner.  Mr.  W.  H.  Dall  found 
some  similar  beds  on  the  coast  of  Alaska  which  he  attributed  to  the  walrus, 
but  which  are  more  probably  the  remains  of  moUusks  ealen  by  the  Codfish. 
They  feed  also  ujion  crabs  of  all  kinds,  lobsters  and  star  fish,  and  have 
been  seen  at  the  surface  catching  the  potato  beetles  and  "June-bugs" 
which  have  drifted  out  from  the  shore.  It  is  said  that  they  succeed  occa- 
sionally in  capturing  a  duck,*  and  that  they  vary  their  diet  by  browsing 
upon  carrageen,  or  Irish  moss,  which  grows  on  the  ledges  near  the  shore. 
In  searching  at  the  bottom  for  shells  and  worms,  Codfish  often  pick  up 
objects  which  can  hardly  be  regarded  as  nutritious.  A  very  amusing 
catalogue  of  such  objects  might  be  included  in  this  chapter,  in  which 
would  be  enumerated  articles  such  as  scissors,  brass  oil-cans,  potato 
parings,  corn  cobs,  and  head  of  a  rubber  doll.  The  finding  of  finger- 
rings  and  fragments  of  oil-ciothing,  and  the  heel  of  a  boot,  inside  of  a 

*  'I'he  V'incyard  Gazette  says  that  Mr.  James  Osbnriie  took  a  Codhsh  on  Wednesday,  at  the  "  South  Side," 
which  weighed  over  sixty  pouiuls.  On  dr.jssini;  it,  two  full-grown  ducks  (old  squaws)  were  found  it  its  en- 
trails.   They  were  ijuitc  fresh,  havinj;  most  of  their  feathers, — Gloucester  Telegraph,  May  6,  1857. 


COD,  POLLOCK,  HADDOCK  AND  IIAKi:. 


34« 


g 
to 


large  Codfish   has   siigi^'cstcd    the   iflca   tluit   somcliincs   they  swaUow   the 
fishermen. 

A  wedding  ring  which  belonged  to  Pauline  Hiirnam,  an  I'.nglish  lady 
who  was  lost  in  the  steanisliip  "'Anglo  Saxon,"  wrecked  off  Chance  Cove, 
N.  F. ,  in  iSOt.  was  lately  restored  to  her  relations  l»y  a  St.  Johns  (N.  l-'.) 
fisherman,  who  fonnd  the  ring  in  the  entrails  of  a  Codfish.  The  lucky 
fisherman  received  a  present  of  t'50  for  restoring  the  higlily  |.ri/ed 
memento  to  the  lady's  son.* 

Stones  of  considerable  si/e  are  often  found  in  tlu'ir  stomaclis.  and 
fishermen  have  a  theory  that  this  is  a  sign  of  an  approaching  storm  and 
that  the  fish  thus  take  in  ballast  to  enable  them  to  remain  at  the  bottom 
when  the  waters  are  troubled.  It  is  more  likely  that  tliese  stones  are 
swallowed  on  account  of  sea-anemones  or  other  edible  substances  which 
may  be  attached  to  them,  in  just  the  same  manner  tluit  the  shells  of  mol- 
lusks  are  taken  in  for  the  sake  of  the  nutritious  ])arts  which  they  contain. 

It  is  believed  that  certain  schools  of  Codfish  feed  slmost  entirely  at  tlie 
bottom,  while  others  prey  upon  fish.  The  fishermen  claim  to  be  able  to 
distinguish  these  two  classes  by  their  general  appearance,  the  first  being 
heavier,  with  shorter  heads,  blunter  noses,  and  smaller  fins,  and  fre(piently 
known  as  "  grubbers"  or  "  ground-keepers,"  while  fish  belonging  to  what 
are  known  as  the  scpiid  school,  the  herring  school,  and  the  lant  school, 
which  are  probably  the  same  fish  at  different  seasons  of  the  year,  are 
brighter-eyed,  slenderer  in  form,  wiih  sharper  head,  and  in  every  way 
better  adapted  for  swift  locomotion.  On  the  coast  of  Labrador,  as  well 
as  in  Scandinavia,  Codfish  follow  tlie  schools  of  spaw'ning  capelin  in  to  the 
shore  and  prey  greedily  upon  them,  and  elsewhere,  at  other  seasons,  they 
feed  with  no  less  voracity  upon  other  species  of  fish  which  may  be  school- 
ing, and  of  which  they  destroy  vast  numbers,  such  as  mackerel,  menhaden, 
herring,  alewife,  salmon,  sculpin,  flounders,  cunners,  anil  haddot  k. 

On  the  Grand  Banks,  especially  in  shallow  water  about  the  Virgin 
Rocks,  I  have  been  told  that  they  follow  the  lant  to  the  surface,  ]nirsuing 
them  with  great  fierceness.  Along  our  northern  coasts  they  re|)lace,  to 
some  extent,  the  voracious  bluefish  and  bonito  of  the  South.  Capt. 
Atwood  remarks  that  the  amount  of  food  which  they  consume  is  enormous, 
when  the  size  of  the  fish  is  taken  into  account.  He  has  seen  them  on  the 
coast  of  Labrador,  where  the  capelin  were  in  great  numbers,  with  their 

*  Bustun  Journal,  July  y,  1871. 


i 


34-' 


.i.w/:a'/('.i.v  /■'/s///:s. 


stomachs  filk-d  to  the  greatest  jjossihlo  extent,  and  capelin  in  tlieir  nioutlis 
\vhi<  h  they  were  unable  to  swallow  for  want  of  room,  and  in  this  conilition 
they  were  still  bitinj,'  at  tiie  hook.  'I'hey  e\en  feed  upon  tlie  yoinij,'  of 
their  own  kind,  'i'hey  are  said  to  feed  largely  upon  herring  spawn, 
though  they  are  not  seen  in  great  numbers,  about  the  spawning  grounds 
until  the  schools  of  parent  fish  have  dei)arted.  The  herring,  also,  is  a 
favorite  arti(le  of  food,  and  when  these  fish  approach  the  shores  or  are 
seen  on  the  banks,  it  is  a  very  good  sign  tiiat  Cod  will  soon  be  abundant. 
Mr.  ICarll  remark.s  : 

"  I  am  told  that  in  the  spring  of  ICS79  an  immense  school  of  herring 
moved  closely  acrcjss  (leorge's  Hank,  and  that  with  them  came  the  largest 
school  of  Cod  that  has  been  seen  in  that  locality  for  a  long  time,  'i'he 
Cod  remained  ( onstantly  among  the  herring,  so  that  when  tlie  lattter  had 
passed  the  fishing  fleet,  the  vessels  were  obligetl  to  weigh  anchor  nnd  fol- 
low them  in  order  to  secure  the  Cod. 

"About  I'rovincetown  the  common  scpiid  sometimes  appear  in  great 
numbers,  and  they  are  most  vigorously  preyed  upon  by  the  Cod." 

The  same  accurate  observer  gives  the  following  notes  concerning  their 
food  while  breeding  : 

"  During  the  spawning  season  the  Codfish  cease  to  search  for  food,  and 
give  less  attention  to  feeding  than  at  other  times,  though  they  will 
usually  take  the  bait  when  placed  before  them.  That  they  do  not  search 
for  food  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  pasture  school  remained  within  a 
few  miles  of  a  large  school  of  spelling  without  being  drawn  after  them  ; 
and  that  the  Ipswich  Bay  school  was  largest  after  the  Sperling  had  left  the 
coast,  and  remained  for  a  number  of  months  on  sandy  wastes  which  sup- 
ported only  three  species  of  invertebrates,  Bucciinim  undaium,  Fusus 
species,  and  Astcrias  7'ii/}:;aris,  in  any  considerable  abundance.  The 
examination  of  the  stomachs  of  several  hundretl  individuals  showed  four- 
fifths  of  all  to  be  entirely  emjjty,  while  a  greater  part  of  the  remainder 
contained  only  bait  picked  trom  the  trawls  of  the  fishermen.  A  small 
number  contained  fish  of  one  or  more  species  that  had  probably  been 
captured  in  the  locality,  while  a  few  scattering  invertebrates  were  found. 
Of  the  species  mentioned  as  abundant  on  the  grounds,  not  a  star-fish  and 
but  two  shells  of  one  species  and  one  of  the  other  are  found.  But  it  was 
clearly  shown  that  the  fish  would  not  refuse  food,  for  often  the  stomachs 
were  well  filled  with  bait  picked  from  the  trawl  before  the  fish  were  hooked. 
From  ten  to  fifteen  pieces  were  frequently  ft)und,  and  in  one  case  eigh- 
teen were  counted. 

"  The  females  when  fully  ri])e  seemed  less  willing  to  feed  than  at  other 
times,  and  few  were  caught  with   the   moving   hand-lines  :   but   when  the 


COD,  POLLOCK,  H.HynOCK  AM)  //.IK J:. 


343 


,"(i 


he 


trawl  was  iisctl,  thus  k'avin.L;  thf  hait  iiiotidiiKss  on  the  Ixittnm  Inr  luniis 
at  a  time,  they  were  iiuhui'il  to  hitc,  and  many  were  taken  with  ihe  ej^^'s 
running'  from  them.      Ripe  males  seemed  to  hile  readily  at  any  time. 

" 'i'he  young  llsh.  as  has  been  remarked,  seems  to  sjiend  llu'  Inst  tlirie 
or  four  years  of  its  life  in  shoal  water,  amonj,'  the  r<M  ks  and  ai,L,';e.  Here 
its  food  consists  at  first  of  the  minutest  forms,  and  latir  |>rin(  ipally  of 
small  Crustacea,  though  it  often  ))i(  ks  up  niolhisks  ami  worms,  and  even 
enters  the  harbors  in  summer,  where  it  remains  about  the  wharves,  jiii  k- 
ing  up  bits  of  refuse  thrown  from  tiie  fishdiouses." 

Capt.  R.  H.  Hurlbert  tells  me  that  sometimes  a  school  of  Codfish  will 
bite  at  night  ;   these  the  fishermen  <  all  ••  Night  ("od." 

In  iS6o  the  schooner  "C".  C  l)a\is"  caught  one  entire  tri|t  of  fi>h 
on  (leorgc's  Hank  all  in  the  niglu,  aiul  there  are  other  iiistanc  es  on  record, 
though,  as  a  rule,  these  fish  '(K:\:i.\  only  in  the  daytime. 

The  Cod  is  one  of  the  most  prolific  of  the  ocean  fishes,  and  wi'  fiiicl  not 
only  thousands  but  millions  of  eggs  in  a  single  female.  All  members  of 
this  family  contain  large  number  of  eggs,  but  the  Cudlish  is  the  most  pro- 
lific of  all.      Mr.  lOarll  writes  as  fcdlows  : 

'*  The  e.\act  number  of  eggs  in  a  female  varies  greatly  with  the  individual, 
being  dependent  largely  upon  its  size  anil  age.  To  ascertain  the  munbtr 
for  the  different  sizes,  a  series  of  six  fish,  rei)rcsenting  various  stages  of 
growth  from  twenty-one  to  seventy-five  pounds,  was  taken,  and  the  eggs 
were  estimated.  Care  was  exercised  that  the  series  should  contain  only 
immature  females,  so  that  no  egg  should  have  been  lost,  and  that  all 
might  be  of  nearly  ecpial  size.  The  ovaries  were  taken  from  the  fish  and 
their  weight  accurately  ascertained  ;  after  which  small  ciuantities  were 
taken  from  different  parts  of  each  and  weighed  on  delicately  adjusted 
scales,  the  eggs  in  these  portions  being  carefully  counted.  The  number 
contained  in  a  given  weight  being  known,  it  was  easy  to  determine 
approximately  the  entire  number  for  each  fish." 

"The  results  obtained  are  given  in  a  table,  cjuoted  below,  showing  a 
twenty-one  pound  fish  to  have  2,700,000.  and  a  seventy-five  ])ound  one. 
9,  TOO, 000.  The  largest  number  of  eggs  found  in  the  Pollock  was  4,029- 
200,  and  in  the  Haddock,  1,840,000. 

"  When  the  eggs  are  first  seen  in  the  fish  they  are  so  small  as  to  be  hardly 
distinguishable,  but  they  continue  to  increase  in  size  until  maturity,  and, 
after  impregnation,  have  a  diameter,  depending  upon  the  size  of  the 
parent,  varying  from  one-nineteenth  to  one-seventeenth  of  an  inch.      A 


f 


344 


AMERICAN  FJSNES. 


M  i 


five  to  eight  jwund  fish  has  e,n;gs  of  the  smaller  size,  while  a  twenty-five 
1)01111(1  one  has  them  between  ar  eighteenth  and  a  seventeenth. 

"  From  weighing  and  measuring  known  ([uantities  it  is  found  that  one 
pound  avoirdupois  will  contain  190,000  of  the  smaller  size,  or  that 
1 .000,000  eggs  well  drained  will  weigh  about  five  pounds.  Again,  by 
assuming  one-nineteenth  of  an  inch  as  the  standard,  or  by  precipitating 
a  known  ciuantity  in  chronic  acid  and  measuring,  we  find  one  quart,  or 
fifty-seven  cubic  inches,  and  three-ipiarters  to  contain  a  little  less  than 
400,000,  or  that  1,000,000  will  measure  between  two  and  a  half  and  three 
([uarts." 

With  these  facts  in  mind,  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to  estimate  the 
cjuantity  of  eggs  taken  for  hatching  ])urposes  during  any  given  season. 

".When  the  little  fish  breaks  through  the  shell  of  the  egg,"  says  Earll, 
"  the  ftjctal  curve  or  crook  is  still  quite  noticeable,  but  it  soon  straightens, 
and  is  then  about  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  length.  At  this  time  the 
yelk-sack,  situated  well  forward,  is  quite  large,  but  so  transjjarent  as  to 
escape  the  notice  of  the  ordinary  observer.  This  is  gradually  absorbed, 
disap))earing  wholly  in  about  ten  to  fifteen  days,  and  the  little  fish  begins 
to  move  about  with  a  peculiar  serpentine  motion,  at  times  darting  cjuite 
rai)idly,  and  then  remaining  motionless,  as  if  resting  from  its  evolutions. 
It  now  begins  its  independent  existence,  and  moves  about  more  frequently, 
a])parently  in  search  of  food.  From  this  date  it  is  impossible  to  follow 
the  Cod,  for  none  have  been  confined,  and  it  is  only  by  catching  large 
numbers  at  different  seasons  and  carefully  recording  their  weights  and 
measurements  that  one  is  enabled  to  judge  of  their  growth.  The  habits  of 
the  species,  that  cause  them  to  live  near  the  shore  for  the  first  few  years, 
furnish  excellent  o])portiinities  for  such  observations,  and  many  were 
examined  during  our  stay  at  Cape  Ann. 

"  Evidence  is  not  wanting  to  show  that  a  Cod  spawns  every  year,  and 
that  it  deposits  the  entire  number  of  eggs  in  the  ovaries  each  season. 
\\'e  have  examined  hundreds  of  specimens  and  have  failed  to  find  a  single 
instance  where  the  rondition  of  the  ovaries  did  not  clearly  indicate  that 
such  was  the  case.  During  the  first  of  the  season  no  mature  fish  were 
found  in  which  eggs  were  not  present,  though  they  often  varied  greatly  in 
development  fr'.m  very  small  to  nearly  ripe  Again,  later  in  the  season, 
no  spent  fish  .vere  seen  with  any  eggs  remaining  in  the  ovaries  ;  and  no 
fish  were  found  during  the  spawning  period  in  which  the  condition  of  the 


COD,  POLLOCK,  HADDOCK  AND  ILAKE 


345 


ovaries  did  not  indicate  that  the  eggs  were  gradually  maturing,  and  would 
be  dejjosited  before  the  close  of  the  season. 

"  The  schools  of  Cod  move  about  but  little  during  the  spawning  season, 
except  when  driven  away  by  enemies  or  by  violent  storms.  After  they 
reach  the  waters  of  Cajje  Ann,  fishing  continues  best  in  the  same  localities, 
and  even  upon  the  same  spots,  muil  they  leave.  The  individuals,  too, 
seem  to  move  about  but  little  among  themselves.  When  the  female 
becomes  ripe  she  remains  quietly  nea,  the  bottom,  while  tie  male,  a  little 
more  active,  often  swims  high  up.  This  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
greater  numbers  of  spawning  females  are  taken  with  the  trawl,  which  lies 
directly  on  the  bottom,  than  with  the  hand-line  a  little  way  above  it, 
while  the  males  are  taken  on  one  as  readily  as  on  the  other. 

"  It  may  not  be  impossible  that  the  eggs  are  fertilized  while  floating  about 
in  the  water  some  minutes  after  exclusion,  and  that  tlie  strong  tides  usually 
found  on  the  spawning  grounds  play  an  important  part  in  distributing  the 
germs,  thus  making  the  chances  of  impregnation  more  favorable.  Indeed 
it  may  be  possible,  and,  if  the  spawning  goes  on  gradually  for  several 
months,  seems  not  improbable,  that  the  immediate  presence  of  the  opjio- 
site  sexes  during  the  act  of  spawning  is  not  necessary,  but  rather  that  the 
eggs  are  fertilized  mainly  by  accidental  contact.  Observations  would 
seem  to  strengthen  the  probabilities  of  this  theory;  for,  if  the  fish  went 
in  pairs,  they  would  often  be  taken  on  adjoining  hooks  of  the  trawl,  or 
one  on  either  hook  of  the  hand-line.  Such  is  not  usually  the  case,  how- 
ever ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  several  of  the  same  sex  are  more  frequently 
taken  together. 

"  The  eggs  have  a  specific  gravity  of  1.020  to  T.025,  as  indicated  by  the 
fact  that  they  float  in  salt  water  and  sink  rapidly  in  fresh.  They  may  be 
found  at  the  surface  in  common  with  eggs  of  the  Pollock,  Haddock,  and 
probably  other  species  of  the  cod  family,  when  the  sea  is  smooth  ;  but 
when  the  water  becomes  rough  they  are  carried  to  a  deptii  of  several 
fathoms  by  the  current,  though  the  tendency  is  to  remain  near  the  surface. 

' '  There  are  many  ways  in  which  the  eggs  may  be  destroyed.  The  i)rinci- 
pal  loss  is  probably  the  result  of  non-impregnation,  for  unless  they  conv> 
in  contact  with  the  milt  of  the  male  very  soon  after  being  thrown  from 
the  parent,  they  lose  their  vitality.  Again,  being  drifted  about  by  the 
winds  and  tides,  they  are  often  carried  long  distances  from  the  spawning 
grounds  into  the  little  bays  and  coves,  and  are  driven  in    immense  num- 


'  n 


34^> 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


ii  'i 


^  h 


hers  upon  the  shores,  or  are  left  dry  by  the  tides,  where  they  soon  die  from 
exposure  to  the  atmosphere,  or  during  the  cold  winter  weather  are  in- 
stantly destroyed  by  freezing.  Ipswich  Hay,  the  most  extensive  spawning 
ground  in  the  locality,  is  especially  unfortunate  in  this  particular,  for  the 
heavy  storms  from  the  north  and  east  sweep  with  unbroken  force  across 
its  surface,  and  each  breaker  as  it  rolls  in  ujjon  the  beach  must  carry  with 
it  many  millions  of  eggs. 

"  But  such  impregnated  eggs  as  escape  destruction  upon  the  shores  are 
subjected  to  the  ravages  of  the  myriads  of  hungry  animals  living  about 
the  rocks  and  coves.  One  day  in  January  we  placed  a  jelly-fish  or  medusid, 
having  a  diameter  of  but  one  and  a  half  inches,  into  a  tray  of  eggs  in  the 
hatching-room,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes  it  hatl  fastened  seventy  eggs 
to  its  tentacles,  loading  some  of  them  so  heavily  that  they  were  severed 
from  the  body  by  the  weight  or  resistance  of  the  eggs  as  they  were  dragged 
through  the  water." 

In  addition  to  his  other  observations,  Mr.  Earll  computed  the  number 
of  eggs  in  Codfish  of  different  sizes.  The  results  of  his  observations  are 
shown  in  the  following  tables  : 

Table  showing  the  number  of  eggs  in  Codfish  of  different  sizes  : 


Number. 


1 

h      '■' 

■i 

°      ! 

<c 

tC 

u-> 

Uh 

'V, 

O  f) 

o 

"  S 

J= 

4-1 
X. 

-•c 

6i 

bn 

.fcJD 

^ 

^ 

^      i 

Ft.  i„. 

IM. 

IJ'S.OZ.  ! 

X.  in 


«2 


(,(i. 


3- 
4- 

5- 


4  ^>i 
3  8 
3   5 
3  4H 
3  3 


70-75 
70-75 
51 
30 
27 
22J 

2t 


Oz 


8  8 
8  8 

7  2       I 

2  9%  1 
2  2^^  1 

I  15K 


6 
f) 
5 

2.K 
2j^ 
2 


A 

Lbs.oz. 

8  2 

82 
8  13 
26 
2  6 
2  0V3 
I  14 


I    u 
u 

1  x 
!   E 


ti  c    . 

1'  E  = 


is 
"a" 


,108 

f 

lj2 

.131     , 

34t   1 

,680 

,368 

,249 

-ifc 


188.5 

023.6 

240 

228 

208.17 


o 


S  it 

O  'J 

H 


9, 100,000 
8,988,094 

3.7«5.f'87 
4,095,000 
3,229.388 
2,732,237 


It  is  interesting  to  compare  these  with  the  observations  made  during  the 
last  century,  references  to  which  may  be  found  in  all  the  standard  works 
on  natural  history.  Leuwenhoek  is  said  to  ha\e  found  in  a  Cod  of  mid- 
dling size  384,000  eggs.  Harmcr  found,  in  one  weighing  eighteen  or 
twenty  pounds,  l)etween  3,000,000  and  4,000,000  eggs.      It  was  examined 


wr: 


COD,  POLLOCK,  HADDOCK  AND  HAKE. 


347 


1  )e(cml'.cr  23,  and  was  estimated  to  luive  294eggs  to  the  ij;rain,  thv."  ovaries 
weighing;  12,540  grains;  the  total  number,  according  to  this  calculation, 
is  3,686, 760. 

The  result  of  Mr.  llarll's  observatipns  indicates  that  in  June  the 
fish  hatched  the  previous  winter,  or  about  six  months  old,  range  from 
one  and  a  half  to  three  inches  in  length  ;  while  those  from  nine  to 
thirteen  inches  long,  and  weighing  se\en  or  eight  oiUK  es,  were  eighteen 
months  old  :  those  seventeen  to  eighteen  int  lies  long,  and  weighing 
two  to  two  and  a  (juarter  ))ounds,  were  suijposed  to  be  two  years 
and  a  half  old  ;  those  of  about  iwenty-two  inches,  wlii(  li  weiglied  four  to 
five  pounds,  were  three  years  and  a  half  old.  He  also  concludes  that  the 
male  reaches  maturity  at  tiie  age  of  three,  and  female  at  tlie  age  of  four 
years,  for  the  smallest  ripe  male  noticed  during  tlie  season  of  i.SyS-'yQ 
weighed  three  and  one-half  pounds,  and  the  smallest  rijie  female  five 
pounds.* 

1  have  befiire  me  memoranda  relating  to  a  large  number  of  enornvous 
Codfish,  taken  along  the  New  England  coast  at  wirious  times  from  1830 
to  1879.  It  seems  unnecessary  to  refer  to  them,  excepting  the  cases  of  a 
few  which  exceed  one  hundred  pounds  in  weight.  Capt.  King  Harding, 
of  Swampscott,  tells  me  that  he  once  caught,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Ca])e  Cod, 
a  fish  weighing  101  pounds  as  h  came  from  the  water.  On  the  22(1  of 
July,  1873,  Miss  Fannie  Belis,  of  St.  Louis,  while  on  a  fishing  excu'sion 
off  Ivastern  Point,  on  board  the  yacht  ''  L'nited  States,"  caught  a  Cod 
which  weighed  130  pounds.  Caj)!.  (1.  H.  Martin  caught,  off  Chatham,  a 
Codfish  which  weighed,  dressed,  iii  pounds.  Capt.  Stephen  Mar,  of 
Cloucester.  saw  a  Codfish  taken  on  (George's  Banks  in  1838,  whicli,  after 
having  been  eviscerated,  weighed  136  pounds.  Ca])t.  Atwood  sajs,  (  n 
the  coast  of  Cape  Cod  he  has  never  seen  a  male  Codfish,  witli  one  exce])- 
tion,  whicli  weighed  more  than  60  pounds  ;  he  once  saw  one,  howe\er, 
which  weighed  160  pounds.  This  fi.sh  was  not  much  larger  than  an  ordinary 
fish  weighing  75  pounds,  but  was  very  thick. 

Cajit.  Atwood  remarks  :  "In  regard  to  size,  the  Cod  differs  very  widely 
in  different  localities.  A\'hen  taken  on  the  Cirand  lianks  it  usuallv  recpiires 
from  thirty  t(j  forty  to  make  a  (piintal  when  dried.  Those  (aught  in  the 
(lulfof  St.  Lawrence  with    hand-lines  are   smaller,    re(|uiring   se\enty  or 

*  ( )n  payes  l^'i-T}.^  of  Mr.  I'^arll's  rfiiort  may  lie  foiiiul  tliu  measurements  of  a  lart;e  imniln-r  uf  CikIHsIi  i.f 
(lilTiriMil  ufiL^lils,  ami  u  illi  the  dvavies  and  sjiermaries  in  ilifTerenl  stayes  of  (le\'ij|i)|imeiit.  'rii(.-.(;  measure- 
ments .ue  inleiesting,  since  they  show  tlie  relation  between  the  length  ,>ikI  weight  of  imliviiUial  lish. 


m 


irsi 
■  I  i'3 


..,4. 


34« 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\  iS  % 


|i    5i 


eighty  per  quintal  ;  in  the  same  locality,  however,  Cod  caught  on  trawl 
lines  recjuire  only  twenty  to  twenty-five  per  (quintal,  while  on  the  coast  of 
Labrador  they  are  small,  and  it  requires  about  onv  hundred  to  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  to  make  a  quintal. 

Writing  in  the  summer  of  1877,  (^apt.  Atwood  expressed  the  opinion  that 
the  average  weight  of  the  fish  taken  about  Cape  Cod  was  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  ten  pounds;  but  he  informed  me  that  in  the  winter  of  1877,  in 
two  days,  thirty  thousand  pounds  of  Codfish  were  landed  from  the  boats, 
and  that  there  was  not  a  fish  among  them  small  enough  to  be  classed  as  a 
market  Cod,  a  market  Cod  weighing  from  six  to  ten  or  twelve  jiounds. 

In  conclusion,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  quote  the  remarks  of  Prof. 
Baird  concerning  the  decrease  of  Codfish  along  our  coast,  and  its  probable 
causes : 

"  Of  all  the  various  fisheries  formerly  prosecuted  directly  off  the  coast  of 
New  England,  north  of  Ca]K' Cod,  the  depreciation  in  that  of  the  Cod 
appears  to  be  of  the  greatest  economical  importance.  Formerly  the  waters 
abounded  in  this  fish  to  such  an  extent  that  a  large  su])ply  could  be  taken 
throughout  almost  the  entire  year  along  the  banks,  especially  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  large  rivers.  At  that  time  the  tidal  streams  were  almost 
choked  up  with  the  alewives,  shad,  and  salmon  that  were  struggling  for 
entrance  in  the  spring,  and  which  filled  the  adjacent  waters  throughout  a 
great  part  of  the  year. 

"  As  is  well  known,  the  erection  of  impassable  dams  across  the  streams,  by 
preventing  the  ascent  of  the  species  just  mentioned  to  their  spawning 
grounds,  i)roduced  a  very  great  diminution,  and  almost  the  extermination 
of  their  numbers;  so  that  whereas  in  former  years  a  large  trade  could  be 
carried  on  during  the  proper  season,  now  nothing  would  be  gained  by  the 
effort. 

"  Of  late  the  attention  of  the  legislatures  of  the  New  England  States  has 
been  called  to  this  fact,  and  to  the  importance  of  restoring  their  fisheries, 
and  a  great  deal  has  been  already  accomplished  toward  that  end.  Unfor- 
tunately, however,  the  lumbering  interest  in  Maine,  and  the  manufactur- 
ing in  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts,  are  so  jjowerful  as  to  render  it 
extremely  difficult  to  carry  out  any  measures  which  in  any  Avay  interfere 
with  their  convenience  or  profits  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  passage  of 
laws  reipiiring  the  construction  of  fishways  through  the  dams,  these  have 
either  been  neglected  altogether,  or  are  of  such  a  character  as  not  to  an- 
swer their  purpose.  The  reform,  therefore,  however  imperatively  required, 
has  been  very  slow  in  its  progress,  and  many  years  will  probably  elapse 
before  efficient  measures  will  be  taken  to  remedy  the  evil  referred  to. 

"  It  would,  therefore,  appear  that  while   the  river   fisheries   have   been 


OS, 

■for- 


ere 
of 
;ive 
[in- 

Hi, 

)se 
■en 


COJ),  POLLOCK.  HADDOCK  AXD  JIAKE 


349 


depreciated  or  destroyetl  by  means  of  dams  or  by  exhaustive  fisliing,  the 
Codfish  have  disappeared  in  ecpial  ratio.  This  is  not,  however,  for  the 
same  reason,  as  they  are  taken  only  with  the  line,  at  a  rate  more  than 
comi)ensated  by  the  natural  fecundity  of  the  fish.  I  am  well  satisfied. 
however,  that  there  is  a  relation  of  cause  and  effect  between  the  ])resent 
and  past  condition  of  the  two  series  of  fish  ;  and  in  this  I  am  supported 
by  the  ojjinion  of  Capt.  U.  S.  Treat,  of  East])ort,  by  whom,  indeed,  the 
idea  was  first  suggested  to  me.  Capt.  Treat  is  a  successful  fisherman  and 
dealer  in  fish  on  a  very  large  scale,  and  at  the  same  time  a  gentleman  of 
very  great  intelligence  and  knowledge  of  the  many  details  connected  with 
the  natural  history  of  our  coast  fishes,  in  this  resi)ect  worthily  rei)resenting 
Capt.  Atwood,  of  Provincetown.  It  is  to  Capt.  Treat  that  we  owe  many 
experiments  on  the  reproduction  of  alcwifes  in  jionds,  and  the  possibility 
of  keeping  salmon  in  fresh  waters  fi)r  a  period  of  years.  Tlie  general 
conclusions  which  have  been  reached,  as  the  result  of  repeated  conversa- 
tions with  Capt.  Treat  and  other  fishermen  on  the  coast,  incline  me  to 
believe  that  the  reduction  in  the  Cod  and  other  fisheries,  so  as  to  become 
practically  a  failure,  is  due  to  the  decrease  off  our  coast  in  the  (piantity, 
primarily,  of  alewives;  and,  secondarily,  of  shad  and  salmon,  more  than 
to  any  other  cause. 

"  It  is  well  known  to  the  old  residents  of  Eastport  that  from  thirty  to 
fifty  years  ago  Cod  could  be  taken  in  abuntlance  in  Passamaijuoddy  Bay, 
and  off  Kastport,  where  only  stragglers  are  now  to  be  caught.  The  same 
is  the  case  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tcnobscot  River  and  at  other  ])oints  along 
the  coasts  of  Massachusetts,  a  much  more  weighty  reason  than  that  of 
merely  enabling  a  few  salmon  t(j  enter  the  streams  in  order  to  permit  their 
capture  while  on  tlicir  way. 

"  Whatever  may  be  the  im]iortance  of  increasing  the  su])])ly  of  salmon,  it 
is  trilling  compared  with  the  restoration  of  our  exhaustecl  Coil  fisheries  ; 
and  should  these  be  brought  back  to  their  original  condition,  we  shall 
find,  within  a  short  time,  an  increase  of  wealth  on  our  shores,  the  amount 
of  which  it  wouUl  be  difficult  to  calculate.  Not  only  would  the  general 
prosperity  of  the  adjacent  States  be  enhancetl,  Imt  in  the  increased  num- 
i)er  of  vessels  built,  in  the  larger  numl)er  of  men  indiued  to  devote 
themselves  to  maritime  ])ursuits,  and  in  the  general  stimulus  to  e\ery- 
thing  connected  willi  the  business  of  the  sea-faring  professinn,  we  should  be 
recovering,  in  a  great  measure,  from  that  loss  whii  h  has  been  the  source 
of  so  mu(h  lamentation  to  political  economists  and  well-wishers  of  the 
country." 

The  Atlantic  Tom  Cod,  Microi:;adus  to»iioJ,  is  found  only  in  the 
Western  Atlantic,  ranging  from  New  York  at  the  south,  tf)  Cape  Sable  at 
the  north.  It  is  ordinarily  known  as  the  Tom  Cod,  but  in  the  15ay  of 
Fundy,    and    in    various    places  south  of  Cod,    it   is    called   the   "Frost 


i  I '  Iji 


If   I  1 


!>      'ii    » 


Fish,''  owing  to  the  fact  tliat  it  bcconies  most  abundant  in  the  early  part 
of  the  winter,  when  it  approaches  the  shore  and  even  ascends  the  rivers 
and  creeks  for  the  purjiosc  of  sjjawning.  Dr.  DeKay  states,  on  the 
authority  of  Dr.  Yates,  that  Tom  Cods  sometimes  ai)pear  at  Albany  in 
abundance,  while  I  am  informed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gardiner  that  they  are 
taken  in  winter  in  the  Kennebec,  sixty  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  far 
above  the  reach  of  the  tide.  They  ascend  the  Charles  River  to  Watertown, 
where  they  are  taken  in  dip-nets  and  by  the  hook  from  the  wharves  and 
bridges.  Although  most  abundant  near  the  shores  and  in  the  streams  in 
early  winter,  they  are  found  along  the  coast   at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

In  form  the  Tom  Cod  is  the  miniature  of  the  Codfish,  rarely  exceeding 
ten  or  twelve  inches  in  length,  and  there  is  much  difficulty  in  distinguish- 
ing the  young  of  the  two  species.  The  Tom  Cod,  however,  varies  even 
more  in  its  color  than  the  Cod,  and  several  varieties  have  been  described 
under  different  names.  When  these  fish  approach  the  shores  in  winter 
they  are  taken  in  great  (juantities  in  nets,  and  are  esteemed  in  many 
localities  as  a  great  delicacy.  It  is  said  that  they  are  sometimes  sold  in 
the  markets  under  the  captivating  name  of  "  London  Trout." 

The  Tom  Cod  feeds  upon  numerous  species  of  crustaceans  and  mollusks, 
and  also  upon  the  young  of  many  other  kinds  of  fishes. 

The  Pacific  Tom  Cod,  Microi:;adus proximus,  is  thus  tlescribed  by  Prof. 
Jordan  : 

"The  English  at  Victoria  know  this  species  by  the  name  '  Whiting.' 
Elsewhere  on  the  coast  the  name  of  '  Tom  Cod  '  is  universally  apjtlied  to 
it.  In  the  restaurants  at  San  Francisco  it  is  usually  served  under  the 
name  of  smelt.  It  reaches  the  length  of  a  foot  and  a  weight  of  al)out  half 
a  ])ound.  It  ranges  from  Monterey  to  Puget  Sound  and  northward,  being 
everywhere  very  abundant,  and  taken  in  great  numbers  in  seines  and 
sweep-nets,  botli  outside  and  in  the  bays.  Its  food  is  small  fishes.  Noth- 
ing special  is  known  of  its  breeding  habits;  it  is  apparently  abundant  at 
all  seasons.  It  is  one  of  the  important  food  fislies  of  the  coast,  always 
abundant  and  always  meeting  a  ready  sale.  Its  fiesh  is,  however,  watery 
and  tasteless,  and  cannot  be  rated  high." 

The  Pollock,  roUachiiis  carboiiarius.  which  is  the  Coalfish  of  England, 
the  Kohler  of  (lermany,  and  the  Sci  of  Norway  and  Sweden,  is  closely 
related  to  the  Pollock  of  Creat  Britian,  rollachiiis  vircns,  from  which, 
however,  it  is  specifically  different.  It  is  one  of  the  best-known  fishes  of 
Northern  Europe,  as  may  be   inferred  from  the  abundance  of  its  common 


COD,   POLLOCK,   IfADDOCK  AND  IIAKL: 


11(1 

h- 

at 

lys 

jry 

1(1, 

'ly 

:h, 
of 

yn 


TiiK  I'oi.i.oCK  (lU  roAi.  nsii. 


Its  geographical  distribution  is  ([uitc  different  from  tliat  of  either  the 
Cod  or  Haddock,  its  northern  range,  at  least  in  the  llastern  Atlantic, 
being  fully  as  wide  as  that  of  the  Cod,  the  s])ecies  ha\ing  bec.i  found  in 
the  northern  part  of  Spit/.bergen,  beyond  the  ])arallel  of  80°,  and  on  the 
arctic  coast  of  l-lurope.  It  rarely  enters  the  Baltic,  llloch  records  a 
specimen  from  Lubeck,  and  it  is  said  to  occur  on  the  coast  of  I'omerania. 

Concerning  the  limits  of  its  southern  range  authorities  differ.  Cunther 
places  this  at  latitude  46°  in  the  J>ay  of  Biscay,  while  others  claim  that  it 
enters  the  Mediterranean.  Canestrini  states  that  it  has  been  obserw-'.  at 
Taranto.  It  does  not  a])pear,  however,  that  the  species  is  abundant  sjuth 
of  the  English  channel.  It  oicurs  about  Iceland  and  on  the  west  c:oast  of 
Davis  Straits,  where  sjiecimens  were  obtained  by  Sir  Edward  Barry  on  liis 
first  voyage.  North  of  Newfoundland  it  does  not  seem  to  be  \ery  abund- 
ant, while  to  the  south  the  limit  appears  to  be  in  the  \icinity  of  Nantucket 
Shoals,  where  specimens  are  occasionally  taken  by  the  cod  smacks. 

In  Berlcy's  "  Catalogue  of  the  Fishes  of  Nova  Scotia,"  he  states  that  he 
had  never  seen  the  fish  in  the  (iulf  of  St.  Lawrence,    nor   heard   of  it   e.\ 
cept  near  the  Straits  of  Canso,  although  it  was  found  very  abundant  in  the 


f ':! 


l-illi 


'^■■niii 


t    ':    i 


352 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


%  I  "i; 


:    M: 


\i. 


Bay  of  Fund;:  and  cvcrywlicre  except  in   the  muddy  waters,  such  as  those 
of  CumberUmd  Bay  and  the  ]5asin  of  Minas. 

I  have  seen  large  indivichuUs  taken  in  midsummer  in  tlie  pounds  in 
Vineyard  Sound,  and  the  capture  of  small  individuals  in  these  waters  is 
not  unusual.  They  are  often  taken,  according  to  I)e  Kay,  off  New  NOrk, 
in  company  with  the  ("od.  In  June,  iS8i,the  schooner  "  iMlward  IC. 
^^'el)ster,"  of  (lloucester,  Solomon  Jacobs,  captain,  returning  fiom  a 
southern  mackerel  trip,  fell  in  with  a  school  of  I'ollock  and  captured  sixty 


(Is  of 


thousand  i)oun( 

stood,  is  in  the  l-kistern  Atlantic  between  the  parallels  46°  and  80°,  in  the 
^^'estern  Atlantic  between  40°  and  70°.  That  its  southeastern  limit  is  as 
near  the  equator  as  the  parallel  of  36°  seemsc[uite  improbable. 

Unlike  the  Cod  and  the  Haddock,  the  Pollock  is,  to  a  great  extent,  a 
surface-swimming  species.  'I'he  fishes  of  this  si)ecies  congregate  together 
in  large  schools,  roaming  from  ])lace  to  place  in  search  of  food.  To  a 
certain  extent  they  feed  at  the  bottom,  like  Cod,  but  are  more  often  seen 
at  the  surface  of  the  water,  where  they  prey  upon  young  fish  of  all  kinds. 

Prof.  Sars  gives  the  following  account  of  the  manner  in  which  they  prey 
upon  little  Codfish  : 

"I  was  much  interested  to  see  how  the  Pollock  caught  the  young  Cod. 
fish.  It  looked  like  a  systematic  chase,  and  it  certainly  looked  as  if  the 
Pollock  were  acting  with  a  common  and  well-defined  purpose.  As  far  as 
I  could  observe,  the  schools  of  Pollock  surrounded  the  little  Codfish  on  all 
sides,  making  the  circle  constantly  narrower  until  all  the  Codfish  were 
gathered  in  one  lump,  which  they  then,  by  a  quick  movement,  chased  up 
to  the  surface  of  the  water.  The  poor  little  fish  now  found  themselves 
attacked  on  all  sides  ;  below,  the  voracious  Pollock,  which  in  their  eager- 
ness often  leaped  al)ove  the  Avater  ;  and  above,  hundreds  of  screeching 
sea-gulls,  which,  with  wonderful  voracity  and  precision,  pounced  down 
upon  the  places  where  the  Pollock  showed  themselves,  to  share  the  spoils 
with  them.  The  whole  chase  is  carried  on  so  rapidly,  and  the  young  fish 
stay  only  so  short  a  time  at  the  surface  of  the  water  before  they  are  scat- 
tered in  all  directions  with  lightning-like  rapidity,  that  it  was  not  even 
possible  for  me  to  see  any,  much  less  to  catch  any  with  my  insufficient 
implements."* 

On  the  coast  of  New  England  they  are  much  disliked  by  the  fishermen, 
who  claim   that   they  consume  great  (juantities  of  other  fish  much   more 


*  Report  of  llie  I'liitcil  St.itcs  lisli  (.'funmission,  l\irt   s,  1S70,  p.   5yi.     Aimtlier   viviil   iloscriptioii  of  the 
maiiaer  in  which  the  I'ollock  feed  upon  the  sand-celt    jr  ianl,  may  be  found  on  pp.  619  and  620. 


COD,  POLLOCK,  HADDOCK  AND  HAKE. 


353 


valiuiblc    tlian    themselves  ;   in   consLiiucnce  of  this   the    nshernien   luive  a 
great  prejudice  against  th.-ni  and  refuse  to  eat  them. 

Capt.  Atwood  states  that  about  Cape  Cod  they  (hi  not  take  to  thj  hook 
freely  ;  tiiat  in  other  localities  they  are  exeeedingiy  voracious,  and  great 
numl)ers  of  them  may  be  caught  in  Massachusetts  Hay  with  a  surface 
bait. 

When  the  Cnited  States  I'ish  Commission  stiamer  ii;!s  been  stationed 
north  of  Cape  Cod,  a  favorite  amusement  of  the  officers  has  been  to  catch 
young  i'oUock  with  a  lly.  'I'hc  older  fisli  are  less  acti\e  and  remain  more 
at  the  bottom. 

Concerning  this  species,  Capt.  Atwood  states  that  the\'  appear  about 
Cape  Cod  in  schools  in  early  May,  fre([uently  passing  Race  Point  so 
close  to  the  shore  as  to  be  caught  with  the  seine  among  the  "  tide-rips." 

Capt.  K.  \V.  Merchant,  of  (Gloucester,  tells  me  that  the  Pollock  were 
very  abundant  in  Massachusetts  IJay  early  in  this  century — before  the  war 
ofiSi2.  They  were  especially  abundant  on  Middle  lUuik.  They  were 
at  that  time  chietly  caught  with  bait  of  herring,  taken  in  seines  from  the 
beaches.  The  fishing  boats  were  of  about  thirty  tons,  and  carried  three 
men  and  a  boy.  Fisliing  was  carried  on  chietly  at  night.  When  tlie  ves- 
sels would  all  "  tieet  up,"  and  the  bait  on  their  hooks  would  toll  the 
schools  of  fish  together.  The  \essels  would  take  about  fifty  ([uintals  in  a 
night.  There  were  about  thirty  hsh  to  the  (juintal.  This  abundam  e  (jf 
pollock  lasted  until  about  iSjo.  These  Pollock  were  salted,  and  con- 
sumed at  home  or  cairied  to  Maine.  They  sold  for  about  two  dollars  a 
cpiintal.  The  oil  of  their  li\ers  was  tried  out  in  kettles  on  the  shore. 
Their  roe  was  exported  largely  in  thcjse  days,  It  was  sold  by  the  bushel, 
at  the  rate  of  about  sixty  cents. 

Mr.  I'larll  writes  :  •'  Large  Pollock  are  absent  from  the  waters  of  Ca])e 
.\nn  tVom  the  middle  of  January  till  early  in   May.  the  small  ones  leaving 


earlier,   in 


th 


e   lal 


and  returnini 


in  April.*  The  young  may  be  taken 
almost  anywhere  along  the  shore,  but  the  large  fish  seem  to  confine  them- 
selves to  definite  localities  ;  and  though  not  particularly  abundant  during 
the  summer  at  Cape  Ann,  it  is  a  favorite  spawning  ground  for  the  species, 
and  during  this  jieriod  large  schools  visit  this  shore. 

They  begin  to  grow  plenty  about  the  first  of  October,  and  by  the  last 


of  the  month  are   so  numerous  as   to  greatly  annoy  the   cod-fisher 
taking  the  hook  before  it  can  get  tcj  the  bott 


men 


by 


om. 


*In  iS8i  the  first  Pollock  c;ar.t;  into  dli 


iicc^ter  iuirlii 


r  .\hi 


354 


AMJ: RJL\  I X  F/SI/ES. 


"  Diiriiii;  tliis  season  soiiu-  of  the  small  vessels  fisli    e\(  hisi\el\  for  Pol- 
lock, 'seizing  up'  their  lines  a  number  of  fathoms  from  the  bottom,  and 


It  times  the  fish  l»ite  as   fast   as  the   fishermen  (an    haul  the 


m. 


]'',arlv  in 


in  Novemlier  a  (  re\v  of  four  men  landed  10.420  jiounds.  or  about  i.ioo 
fish,  the  result  of  less  than  two  days'  fishing.  ( )\ving  to  a  foolisii  jirejudic  e. 
the  ])riie  is  always  low.  at  times  being  less  than  thirty  cents  ])er  one  liun- 
drecl  pounds.  The  a\erage  weight  of  the  fish  is  about  nine  or  ttui  pounds, 
and  during  the  sijuwning  season  the  sexes  are  taken  in  al)out  e(|ual 
numbers." 


.    I 


:|1    .'-ii 


■  ■111,';        J 


r  Ii  \ 


p.      !■•      '■ 


In  the  \\i\y  of  l''undy  and  along  the  coast  of  Maine  the  ca]iture  of  \()ung 
Tollock  from  the  ro(  ks  is  a  fa\-orite  amusement,  At  Mastjiort  these  fish 
arc  often  called  '•  (Juodily  Salmon."  Hinds  states  that  in  the  (iulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  they  are  known  as  '*  Sea  Salmon  ;"  this  name  may  refer  both 
to  their  active  and  voracious  habits,  and  to  the  excellence  of  their  tlesh  in 
those  localities. 

The  spawning  of  the  I'oUock  occurs  in  thederman  ( )cean,  acconling 
to  ^\'ittnKU•k,  from  December  to  l''ebruar\-  :  in  Scotland,  according  to 
rarnell.  in  I'ebruary.  after  whicli  it  remains  out  of  condition   until    Mav. 

About  the  LolTodens.  as  indicated  by  the  observations  ofSars,  the  breed- 
ing time  corresponds  with  that  of  the  Codfish,  the  young  Pollock  being 
found  in  early  summer  in  company  with  ilie  young  Cod,  swimming  under 
the  jirotection  of  the  jelly-fishes. 

TJie  Pollock  is  one  of  those  species  whose  \alue  as  an  arti(  le  of  food  is 
Aerv  much  underestimated.  Many  persons  who  lu; .  ^  in\estigated  tb.e 
subject  accurately  prefer  salted  I'oUock  to  salted  Codfish,  although  the 
fiesh  is  not  so  white.  Its  value  for  use  in  the  fresh  state,  we  think,  de- 
serves the  highest  commendation. 

Pollock  are  more  highly  prized  in  New  Brunswick  than  anywhere  else 
on  the  Western  Atlantic:  coast,  and  the  pollock  fishery  was  in  1S50  pro- 
nounced by  I'erlev  the  most  valuable  and  e\tensi\e  of  the  dee|)-sea  fisheries 
of  the  Day  of  Fundy.  It  is  stated  by  this  authority  that  directly  after  the 
spawning  seast)n  the  fish  is  lank  and  almost  worthless,  but  that  it  becomes 
in  good  condition  again  in  August  and    improves  as  the  season   ailvances. 

The  liver  of  the  I'ollock  \ields  a  great  cpiantity  of  oil,  jjroportionally 
much  more  than  that  of  the  Cod.  It  is  probable  that  most  of  the  cocl-li\er 
oil  in  the  market  is  more  or  less  adulterated  with  poUock-lixer  oil.  No 
one  has  yet  demonstrated  that  its  medicinal  properties  are  inferior.  The 
eggs  of  the  I'ollock  are  very  large,  and  great  (piantities  of  them  ha\e  been 
in  past  years  salted  and  exported  to  France. 


COD.   J'OLl.OCK.   UADDaCK  .l.\  /)  IIAKI'.. 


.■>.->  .1 


IS 

he 
he 
e- 

sc 
ro- 
ics 

ic 

U'S 

iy 
o 


'llu'  AlaNk;!  I'dlKx  k,  J'ci/iii/iiiis  (■/ui/i<>;;ritiiiiiiiis  (I'.iUa^)  I.  iV  (I..  i>  thus 
(1(.'S(  ribcd  by  I'rdf.  Jordan  :  ••  This  spec  ius  is  known  a>  I'ollai  k  to  tliosi- 
who  haw  sren  the  Atlantic  siiccies.  It  is  iJON>iM\-  iiK!iii(  al  with  the 
•  IJcsliow  '  of  the  Makah  Indians,  the  •  Coal  li^h  '  ot"  the  l'.nL:li->h  settlers 
northward,  a  deep-water  fish  noted  for  its  rii  h.  t'.it  lle'^h.  It  rea<  Iks  a 
lenj^th  of  about  two  feet.  It  ranges  from  Monterey  to  Ilehrin^'s  Stiait>. 
It  is  taken  with  liook  and  line  in  deep  water,  and  is  iK\er  plentiful  south 
uf  Cai)e  I'lattery.  It  feeils  upon  aiK  ho\  iis  and  the  like.  .Nothiiii,'  is 
known  of  its  breedinj;  habits,  enemies  or  diseases,  and.  uides>  it  \>c  the 
'  Ueshow  '  ab()\e  noticed,  it  is  not  siiiVk  iently  aliindaiu  to  attr.n  t  anv 
notice  as  an  artic  le  of  food. 


Tin:  nAiiDiiCK. 
/he  Haddock,  MdaiiOi^raiinniis  (Ci^/rji/itis.  is  found  only  in  the  .\tlanti(  . 
Hadot  and  Haelou  are  old  I"^-ench  naiiies  for  the  same  fish,  though  the 
species  is  now  usually  known  by  the  name  F.grefin.  In  Scotland  the  name 
is  said  to  be  jironounced  almost  in  the  same  way  as  in  l'"rance,  and  is  ot'teii 
\arie(l  to  Iladdie.  It  is  the  Schellfish  of  (lermany.  Concernin;^'  thi>  l"i>h 
many  of  our  fishermen  entertain  the  idea,  which  with  them  (an 
hardly  be  called  a  superstition,  that  the  black  spots  ujjon  their  side  are 
due  to  the  impression  of  the  thumb  and  finger  of  St.  Peter  wluii  the 
ajwstle  took  the  tribute  money  out  of  the  mouth  of  a  fish  su])])ose(l  to  be  of 
this  s])ecies,  the  fisherman's  mark  ha\ing  been  continued  among  its  de- 
scendants ever  since.  This  notion  is  ])re\alent  also  in  England,  and  in 
Southern  Europe  is  attached  to  other  fishes.  i)articularly  to  the  John  Dory, 
Zeus  fabcr.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  no  member  of  this  family  occurs  in 
the  Sea  of  (lalilee. 


)\ 


M 


^, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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h 


A 


Afk 


1.0 


1.1 


11.25 


2  m  "^ 


1.4    11.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)  S72-4503 


\ 


^^ 


•^ 


\ 


:\ 


"« 

^^\  ^o^ 


% 


35^> 


AMERICAX  F/SIfES. 


Its  wanderings  are  more  limited  than  those  of  tlie  Cod.  It  is  not  found 
nearly  as  far  to  the  north,  while  its  southern  range  is  no  wider.  Had- 
do(  k  are  proljaMy  found  in  comiiany  with  Codfish  on  all  the  northern 
fishing  grouufls,  as  far  south,  at  least,  as  the  Cajies  of  Delaware,  though 
(onterning  their  ocrurren(  e  in  southern  waters  there  is  dearth  of  informa- 
tion. In  winter  and  spring  they  are  taken  in  I'isher's  Island  Sound  and 
outside  of  Fisher's  Island,  on  the  roast  of  Eastern  Connecticut;  and  also 
in  great  (juantities  on  Nantuc  ket  Shoals  by  the  smacks,  and  are  carried 
thence  with  Cod  into  New  York  market.  In  1871  it  was  estimated  that 
the  catch  of  Haddock  here  was  nearly  eipial  to  that  of  Cod,  although  the 
latter  usually  jjredominates.  They  abound  north  of  Cape  Cod,  in  the 
Culf  of  Maine,  and  in  the  Hay  of  Fundy.  in  the  Basin  of  Minas,  on  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  in  the  Ciilfof  St.  Lawrence,  and  in  the  IJay  of 
Chaleur.  In  the  (Itilf  of  St.  Lawrence,  according  to  Capt.  Atwood,  they 
are  not  very  abundant,  but  the  individuals  taken  are  very  large.  They 
are  taken  on  the  western  coast  of  Newfoundland  in  winter  ;  their  northern 
limit  ajjpears  to  be  marked  by  the  Straits  of  IJelle  Isle,  latitude  52°  N. 
In  1863  and  i<S64  they  were  found  in  abundance  on  the  southern  border 
of  the  Cirand  Hank.  They  are  not  so  freipient  on  the  Crantl  Bank  as  on 
the  Western  Bank,  anti,  in  turn,  less  common  there  than  on  George's 
Bank. 

In  the  Eastern  Atlantic  the  range  of  the  Haddock  is  somewhat  wider, 
for  they  are  found  in  the  seas  of  Iceland,  the  whole  length  of  th''  Scandi- 
navian coast  to  lOast  Finmark  and  Varanger  Fjord,  and  on  all  the  shores 
of  Creat  Britain,  and  in  the  North  Sea.  where  they  are  'particularly  abund- 
ant, though  rarely  or  never  entering  the  I'altic.  There  is  no  e\idence 
that  they  are  found  to  the  south  of  the  English  Channel.  I)e  La  Blanchere 
states  that  they  are  caught  in  considerable  numbers  on  the  coast  of 
Man<-he.  In  the  l'',astern  Atlantic,  then,  they  are  found  between  the 
jiarallels  48°  ai^.d  66°  ;  in  the  Western  Atlantic  between  parallels  38° 
and  53°. 

Haddock  are  not  so  active  and  powerful  as  the  Coil.  Dr.  Cilpin  has 
expressed  the  opinion  that  on  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  they  do  not  retreat 
so  far  from  the  shore  in  winter  as  the  Cod,  but  this  does  not  ajjjiear  to  be 
true  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

Remarkable  variations  in  the  abundance  of  this  fish  are  upon  record  ; 
at  certain  times  they  have  been  e.xceedingly  rare,  at  others  abundant  in  the 
extreme. 


COD,  POLLOCK,  IFADDOCK  AXD  IFAKE. 


357 


("ajit.  Atwood  states  that  in  1834  Haddock  were  very  scarce  on  the 
(irand  Bank,  and  few  were  (aught  anywliere  on  the  ( oast.  Imi  in  1.S40 
they  became  so  numerous  about  Cape  Cod  as  to  interfere  seriouslv  with 
tlie  Cull  fisliery,  devouring  the  bait  liefore  the  Cod  (ouhl  reai  Ii  it.  and 
about  1850  they  had  increased  so  rajiidly  that  tlie  markets  were  ghitted. 
In  1864  they  were  caught  in  great  numbers  and  were  still  on  the  inc  rease. 
In  1870  the  same  observer  related  to  the  Massac  husetts  senate  the  storv  of 
another  |)eriod  of  scan  ity  and  abundance.  His  statements  may  be  found 
in  the  report  of  the  United  States  Commission  of  l-'i^h  and  Fisheries, 
Part  1 .  1873.  p.  1 19. 

'I'he  food  of  the  Haddock  resembles  that  of  the  Cod,  e.\c  i|it  that  they 
are.  if  i)0ssible.  more  omnivorous  ;  their  diet  c  on>ists.  however,  largely  of 
invertebrates.  They  are  rarely  seen  feeding  at  tlie  surfac  e.  though  the\- 
devour  the  spawn  of  other  fishes,  jiartic  ularly  that  of  the  1  erring,  with 
great  eagerness.  They  devour  great  (piantities  of  shells,  many  of  them  of 
the  burrowing  species.  Prof.  \'errill  has  well  said  that  a  complete  list  of 
the  animals  devoured  by  the  Haddoc  k  would  doubtless  include  all  llie 
nioUusks  belonging  to  the  fauna  of  New  England. 

The  Haddock  are  said  to  be  i)articularly  abundant  on  clamdtanks. 
From  this  habit  of  feeding  on  shells  has  originated  the  (lerman  name  for 
the  fish.  The  difference  between  the  habits  of  the  Haddock  and  the  Cod 
is  illustrated  by  the  remark  of  Capt.  Atwood  that  Haddoc  k  will  take  a 
baited  hook  as  it  rests  upon  the  ground,  while  the  Cod  will  only  notice  it 
when  it  is  raised  a  short  distance  from  the  bottom.  Salted  menhaden  is  a 
favorite  bait  for  Haddock,  but  not  desirable  for  Cod,  while  both  Cod 
and  Haddock  will  readily  take  stale  clams,  which  are  muc  h  better  for  bait 
than  fresh  ones. 

On  the  (iernian  coast  the  Haddock  spawn  on  roc  ky  bottoms  in  l-'ebniary 
anil  early  March  at  a  depth  of  twenty-two  to  twenty-lhe  fathoms  :  and 
according  to  Yarrow  the  spawning  period  is  the  same  on  the  British  coast, 
the  young  growing  to  a  length  of  six  or  seven  inches  before  the  beginning 
of  September.  At  the  I.offoden  Isles,  according  to  Sars.  the  s|)awning 
season  of  the  Haddock  takes  place  a  little  later,  beginning  toward  the  end 
of  February  and  being  at  its  height  late  in  March.  At  Cape  Ann  tlie 
season  is  in  late  April,  May  and  June. 

The  average  size  of  the  Haddock  is  probably  iiot  far  from  three  or  four 
jiounds  ;  many  twelve-])Ouncl  fish  are  brought  to  market,  and  individuals 
weighing  seventeen  pounds  are  on  record. 


35« 


AMERICAX  FISJfES. 


Ill    1S79   Hiiddock  WLTC  sucfcssfiilly  hat(hc(l,   under  the  supervision  of 
Mr.  I'larll,  at  the  (Uoucester  station ot"  the  L'nited  States  Fisli  Commission. 

The  llachlotk  is  now  \ery  liiyhly  esteemed  as  a  food  fish,  having  grown 
in  favor  (hiring  the  hist  twenty  years.  It  is  especially  desiral)le  for  boil- 
ing (ir  for  making  chowders,  and  is  a  great  favorite  in  Boston,  while  in 
Philadelphia  enormous  (piantities  are  yearly  consumed.  Deing  well 
a<lapted  for  ])reservation  in  ire,  great  numbers  of  them  are  distributed 
through  the  interior  of  the  country,  together  with  the  Codfish.  The  suc- 
cess with  which  the  Scotch  method  of  smoking  Haddock  has  been  intro- 
duced into  this  country  has  also  greatly  increased  the  demand  for  them, 
and  "  l''innan  Haddies  "  are  manufactured  in  enormous  (juantities  in  I'ort- 
land  and  Boston.  At  Provincetown  a  Haddock  salted  and  dried  after 
being  split:  is  <allef!  by  the  name  "  Skulljoe,"  or  '-Scoodled  SkuUjoe." 


1*.. 

TUK  IIUUHOT 

The  Cusk,  Brosmius  brosmc,  is  a  deep-water  species,  inhabiting  rocky 
ledges  in  the  North  Atlantic.  It  has  not  l)een  observed  south  of  Cape 
C(k1.  out  ranges  northward  to  the  banks  of  Newfoundland  and  of  Ciieen- 
land.  It  occurs  in  Iceland  and  Spitzbergen  and  along  the  entire  length 
of  the  Scandinavian  Peninsula,  but  is  not  known  on  the  coast  of  Germany, 
while  Faber  states  that  it  just  touches  the  most  northern  i)art  of  Denmaik 
at  the  Scaw  in  Jutland,  and  that  it  is  occasionally  taken  in  the  Frith  of 
Forth  and  brought  to  the  Edinburgh  market.  It  is  also  plentiful  about 
the  Faroe  Islands.  Its  range  in  the  Western  Atlantic  is  from  latitude  42° 
to  latitude  65°,  or  beyond  ;  in  the  Northeastern  Atlantic  to  latitude  80°, 
and  south  to  latitude  %i^^. 

The  Massachusetts  fishermen  tell  me  that  these  fish  are  usually  found  in 
considerable  abundance  on  newly-discovered  ledges,  and  that  great  num- 
bers may  be  taken  for  a  year  or  two,  but  that  they  are  soon  all  caught. 
Sometimes,  after  a  lapse  of  years,  they  may  be  found  again  abundant  on  a 
recently-deserted  ground.     From  these  facts  it  has  been  reasoned  that  the 


COD,  no  LLC  CK.   If.  I DD  O  CK  A  XD  II A  K/-. 


:•>':>') 


Cii^k  is  very  local  in  its  habits  ami  rarely  (  ha  iiLrcs  iVom  one  lo(alit\-  to 
another. 

The  food  of  the  C'lisk  doubtless  consist  <  liielly  of  inolliisks  and  small 
crustaceans. 

Concerning  its  spawning  h.dtits  nothing  i>  known.  e\ce])t  that,  accord- 
ing to  I'aber,  it  breetls  in  April  and  Mav  on  the  coast  of  A\'est  and  South 
Ireland. 


The  Cask 


IS  considered  a  \er\-  e\(  e 


llent 


fi^li.  e^iic'  ialh    for  lioiliiiL:.    Imt 


there  is  a  very  limited  demaml  tor  it.  and  most  of  those  whic  h  are  taken 
are  salted.  ( )n  accoinit  of  their  low  prices  lishermen  shun  them,  ami  they 
are  hardly  in  better  favor  than  dogl'ish.  In  »he  spring  of  iNjS  thev  were 
worth  in  Clloiicester  from  twenty  to  I'ifty  cents  ])er  lumdred.  and  in  August 


of  the  same   }ear  about    one  dollar   per    lumdred 


()n( 


e   of  the    peculiar 


habits  of  the  Ciisks  renders  their  c  apture  diftlcult.  and  t'reipieiitlv  causes  the 
destruction  (jf  the  fishing-tackle  :  it  is  said  that  after  they  have  taken  the 
hook  they  curl  their  tails  round  the  angles  of  the  rock  and  (ling  to  them 
with  such  strength  that  it  is  imiiossible  to  dislodge  the 


m. 


1- 


isliermen  sav 


that  when  they  arc  brought  to  the  surface  the  skin  rises   from  the  bodv  in 
great  blisters.      This  thev  regard  as  a  favorable  siyn,  as  showing  that  the 


tish  are  "  thrittv,"    or  healtln 


le  name 


Tusk,"  used  for  this  I'lsh   in 


ms 


Newfoundland,  is  now  never  used  in  the  United   States,  although  it  see 
to  have    been    in    use   a   century  ago,    a  well-known   fishing  ground  in  the 
Gulf  of  Maine  being  known  as  the  "  Tusk  Rock." 

The  two  species  which  have  commercial  value  being  /'.  i/ims  and  P. 
tenuis.  These  si)ecies  are  \ery  similar  in  ajipearance,  and  it  is  with  diffi- 
culty that  they  can  be  tlistinguished  from  each  other  by  the  traine<l  eye  of 
the  zoologist.  The  most  tangible  distinction  may  be  found  in  the  num- 
ber of  scales,  which  are  muih  smaller  in  /'.  ft/mis,  there  being  from  one 
hundred  and  thirty-fue  to  one  hundred  and  forty  oblinue  rows  between  the 
bronc  hial  opening  and  the  root  of  the  caudal  fin,  while  there  are  about 
twehe  rows  between  the  lateral  line  and  the  region  of  the  first  dorsal.  In 
P.  r/iuss  there  are  only  one  hundred  rows  in  the  lateral  line  and  nine  rows 
above  the  lateral  line  :  in  the  former  the  ventral  does  not  ordinarily  reach 
quite  to  the  vent,  in  the  latter  it  extends  beyontl  the  vent.  This  char- 
acter, however,  cannot  always  be  relied  upon. 

Our  Hakes  are  all  difTerent    t'rom   the    Forketl    Heard,  J\  hhimioiiics,  of 
Great  Britain,  sometimes  called  the  Hake's  Dame,  which  is  a  member  of 


ti; 


360 


AA/J'/a/CAJV  FISHES. 


tlu"  same  genus.*  Owing  to  t Ik- ir  great  similarity.  Phvcis  c/iiisx  and  P. 
tenuis,  arc  usually  knf)\vn  indifferently  by  the  name  "  Hake  ;"  the  former, 
however,  is  sometimes  called  the  Old  English  Hake,  and  the  other,  /'//viy's 
tenuis,  the  S(|uirrel  Hake  or  White  Hake.  In  the  Oulfof  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  Bay  of  (,'haleur.  and  also  south  of  Tape  Cod.  they  are  invariably 
called  Ling.  There  has  been  much  confusion  both  in  the  names  and 
descriptions  applied  to  them  by  fishermen  and  ichthyologists,  'i'heirgeo- 
grai)hical  range  ap]iears  to  be  essentially  the  same.  'I'he  yoimg  of  one  or 
both  species  are  fre(piently  taken  swimming  at  the  surface,  on  the  southern 
roast  of  New  England,  in  midsummi'r,  and  numerous  individuals  have  been 
found  off  Block  Island  and  Watch  Hill,  seeking  shelter  between  the  valves 
of  a  large  s])ecies  of  scallop,  l^ectcn  friiuicostatus ;  the  majority  appear  to 
belong  to  the  sjjeciesof /^  e/iuss. 


Tin;  II\KK. 

The  two  species  are  fre(piently  taken  by  the  cod-fishermen,  on  the 
shoals  south  of  Cape  Cod,  but  they  are  there  considered  to  be  of  but  little 
\alue.  They  are  more  or  less  abundant  in  l^Lissachusetts  Bav,  in  the  Bay 
of  Fundy  and  in  the  Oulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Large  s])ecimens  of  one  or 
both  species  have  been  taken  at  a  depth  of  three  hundred  fathoms  as  far 
south  as  Virginia. 

The  Hakes  ai)pear  to  be  bottom-loving  fishes,  and  rarely  change  localitv. 
They  feed  on  crustaceans,  and  occasionally  inilulge  in  a  fish  diet.  One 
taken  at  (Iloucester  in  July,  187S.  liad  a  menhaden  in  its  stomach. 

It  is  believed  that  they  spawn  throughout  the  summer,  iuv  the  voung 
fish  are  found  during  all  the  summer  i.n;nths,  while  specimens  taken  at  the 
depth  of  thirty-se\en  fathoms  August  iS.  1.S7S.  off  Ipswich,  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  41°  F.,  contained  well-de\ eloped  o\a,  and  were  apjjarently  ready 
to  spawn. 

*'l'liL-  H.ikc  of  F.iinipe  is  a  difTcrt-'iit  fish,  more  closely  related  to  the  Silver  Hake  or  Whitins;  of  the  New 
England  coast,  Mcrliiciiis  /•//iiu-ttrn. 


con.    POI.LOCk\   IfADPOCK  AXD  JIAKI-: 


:M 


An  extensive  fishery  is  <  arried  (.n  from  Cape  Ann  f.r  these  {\^\\  in  winter, 
and  there  are  sometimes  as  many  as  fifty  vessels  eni,'a^Lre(l.  It  was  esti- 
mate<l  in  1S78  tliat  tlie  total  (piantity  landed  at  (Wou(  ester  was  not  far 
from  5.000.000  ]>onnds.  'I'iie  fishin-j  is  carried  on  almost  entirely  at  ni;:ht 
with  the  use  of  trawls,  whi(  h  are  about  the  si/.e  t)f  those  nsed  in  tlie  <  aptnre 
of  Iladdoi  k. 

Hake  are  salted  and  driid  in  the  same  manner  as  (^,dfl^h.  and  are  ot'un 
sold  tu-.der  the  name  of  ((.dfi^h.  \\  f,,rv  the  introdiK  ti.,ii  ,,f  l,<,neless  fish 
it  was  sometimes  diflic  ult  to  sell  them  on  a(( ount  of  th.e  (lifferen(  e  ii; 
aiipearance,  1  ut  at  th,e  jMesent  time  great  (|uantities  of  Hake  are  j.ut  uj. 
in  hoxcs  nn.'.er  the  tiade  name  of  '-l.meless  f:.sh."  tlie  (lualifyinif  word 
"Cdd"  beini^Misiially  cMiiitled  from  the  1  ranc'.s  and  labels.  Tiie  Hake 
is  not  often  eaten  e.\(  ept  wlien  salted. 

The  air-bladder,  or  sound,  (  f  the  Hake  is  of  i^icat  (  ommer.  ial  \aliie. 
being  used  extensively  in  tlie  manufacture  of  isinglass  :  great  .|uantities  of 
sounds  are  sent  from  the  liritish  l'rovin<  es  to  the  I'nitcd  States  annually. 
sounds  from  the  (lulf  of  St.  Lawrence  being  considered  mu(  h  better  than 
those  from  farther  south.  Jn  1880  New  Kngland  j.roduced  255,698 
lounds  of  dried  sounds,  worth  si  7''!-''io8.  Massachusetts  ha.l  eight  isinglass 
and  glue  factories,  employing  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  men  and  a 
capital  of  $315,000,  and  jiroducing  :^45o.ooo  worth  of  ribbon-isinglass 
and  glue  in  1S79.  These  .sounds  were  for  the  most  i>art  derived  from  the 
Hake. 


Till-:  Pii.vi:!!  iiAKi:  du  AviriTixr;, 
It  is  the  opinion  of  certain  writers,  among  whom  Dr.  Cunther  is  leader, 
that  the  Hake  of  Europe,  Mcrluciiis  vicrhis  (or  J/.  rvz/cvz/vV  of  recent 
authors),  is  identical  with  the  si)ecies  of  Jfcr/itciits  occurring  in  the 
Western  Atlantic.  This  is.  however,  a  mistake  :  the  American  form 
may  easily  l)e  distinguished  from  that  of  Europe  by  the  greater  number  of 


I 


3^'- 


/ MKRICAN  FISHES. 


rays  in  the  first  dorsal  (lo  to  t  r  in  J/,  mcr/its,  \2  to  i,^  in  J/".  Hliiieivis), 
and  by  the  lari^'cr  si/e  of  the  scales  (the  number  in  the  lateral  line  being 
about  150  in  J/,  incrlus,  100  to  110  in  M.  hilincaris'). 

The  general  a])i)earante  of  the  two  s])ecies  is  very  similar,  and  it  re- 
(juires  careful  stmly  to  separate  them.  It  is  probable  that  at  no  very  remote 
period  they  diverged  from  a  common  stcx  k.  'i'iie  distribution  of  the  two 
species  upon  the  opposite  sides  of  the  Atlantic  coincides  very  closely  with 
that  of  other  (ladoid  fislies,  whicji  are  s|)ecifically  identical  in  I'lurope  and 
America.  The  Hake  of  Europe  is  fotmd  along  the  coast  from  Trondhjem 
I'jord,  latitude  65°,  south  to  36°,  being  very  abundant  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean ;  also  found  on  the  coast  of  Portugal  and  in  Western  France.  In 
the  I'Jiglish  Channel,  however,  and  in  the  waters  of  Holland  and  Ger- 
many, it  is  considered  very  unusual.  On  our  coast  it  ranges  from  New 
^'ork  to  the  (lulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  where  it  is  common — esjiecially  in  tlie 
IJay  of  C'haleur — but  it  has  rarely  been  observed  as  far  north  as  tlie  Straits 
of  Uelle  Isle.  Dr.  Packard  was  told  by  fishermen  that  during  a  pericnl  of 
forty  summers  spent  on  the  coast  of  Labrador  they  had  taken  but  one  speci- 
men of  this  fish.  This  fish  has  been  found  at  great  depths  as  far  south  as 
latitude  36°  and  37°. 

The  name  Silver  Hake,  by  which  this  fish  is  known  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
is  much  more  appropriate  than  that  of  Whiting,  though  the  latter  is  more 
fre([uently  heard  in  New  luigland  ;  its  similarity  to  the  European  Hake 
is  very  great ;  while  the  name  Whiting,  which  is  in  luirope  ajjplied  to  a 
species  {^Merhingtts  t-i/Zj^dn's),  somewhat  resembling  the  Pollock,  has  been 
appropriated  in  this  country  for  a  fish  which  frecjuents  our  southern  coast 
and  belongs  to  the  drum  family. 

The  Silver  Hake  commonly  inhabits  the  middle  dej^ths  of  the  ocean, 
or  the  outer  edge  of  the  continental  slope,  and  comes  to  the  surface  to 
feed.  Like  the  Pollock,  it  is  a  fish  of  prey  ;  its  teeth  are  sharp,  its  mouth 
large  and  jiowerful,  and  its  form  lithe,  muscular,  and  adapted  to  rapid 
locomotion.  It  comes  to  the  surface  to  prey  upon  the  schools  of  herring 
and  other  small  fish,  and  is  frecjuently  caught  in  the  mackerel  and  bluefish 
nets.  Its  appearance  in  our  waters  is  irregular,  and  when  seen  it  is  usually 
swimming   in  schools  in  considerable  numbers. 

They  average  one  foot  in  length.  They  are  of  roving  habits,  following 
the  shoals  of  herring,  wliich  they  devour  in  great  (juantities.  Until  1880 
little  was  known  concerning  the  breeding  habits  of  the  Silver  Hake  ;  but, 


COD,  POriOCK,  irADDOCK  AXn  HAKi:. 


;/',5 


in  cxplorinj^'  tlic  bottom,  at  a  tli-pth  of  from  one  hundrfil  anil  fit'tv  to  iliitc 
hundred  fatlioms,  off  Newport  and  in  the  edge  of  tlie  Ciulf  Stream,  im- 
mense numbers  of  young  fish,  from  half  an  in(  h  to  tliree  inc  hes  in  Kngth. 
were  found  at  the  bottom,  and  with  them  were  many  aihilts.  twehf  to 
eighteen  indies  in  length,  apjjarently  in  the  act  of  spawning  ;  xime  ^A 
them  with  the  ova  ripe,  f)r  nearly  ripe,  but  not  yet  she<l  :  others  evidently 
spent-fish.  'I'his  discovery  was  exceedingly  interesting,  since  it  may  serve 
as  a  (lew  to  the  s]iawning  habits  of  other  species,  like  tlu'  bluefish  and 
menhaden,  which    have  been   supi>osed  to  spawn  at   a  diNtam  t'   tVom  the 


shore,  but   have  never  been  detected   in  the  ac  t.      The  spa 


wning   jieru 


doubtless  extends  over  a  consicierable  space  of  time  ;  snme  of  the  eggs 
from  which  the  largest  of  the  young  were  hatt  hed  off  Newport  nuHt  have 
been  laid  as  early  as  July.  In  September  an  ailult.  obtained  at  lialitax. 
Nova  Scotia,  had  the  ova  well  developed  and  nearly  reaily  fur  deposition. 
It  is  not  known  whether  the  eggs  of  the  Silver  Hake  lloat  or  >ink.  ('ouc  h 
stales  that  the  spawning  season  of  the  European  Hake  is  from  Januaiy  to 
April,  at  which  time  the  fish  are  caught  near  the  bottom,  and  lose  the 
great  voracity  by  which  they  are  characterized  at  other  times,  so  that 
multitudes  arc  caught  in  trawls,  and  a  few  with  lines.  When  pih  hanU 
ai)i)roach  the  shore  the  Hake  follow  them,  continuing  in  inc  ah  tdable 
numbers  throughout  the  winter. 

The  Hake  of  I^urope  is  always  considereil  a  <oarse  fish,  and  tlmugh 
great  quantities  are  annually  salted  and  dried  it  is  not  held  in  very  high 
esteem.  Many  of  the  salted  fish  are  sent  to  Spain.  They  are  said  to  be 
(luite  connnon  on   the  northern  shore  of  the   Mediterranean,  where  con- 


siderable tralitic  is  carried  on  wi 


th  th 


em 


thev  are  i)acked  with   aromatic 


plants  and  sent  to  the  towns  remote  from  the  coast. 


St  ore  r  remarks 


Occasionally  this  species   is  brought  to  market,  and 


when  pertectly  fresh  is  a  very  sweet  fish,  boiled,  broilecl  or  friecl.  It  soon 
becomes  soft  and  is  jireserved  with  difficulty.  As  it  does  not  ai)pear  to 
be  known  abroad,  and  the  fishermen  consecpicntly  have  no  call  fi)r  it,  it  is 
not  caired,  but  is  considerecl  worthless.  In  the  months  of  Septend>er  and 
October  the  Whiting  is  used  somewhat  for  bait  for  the  dogfish  and  answers 


rooc 


1  jjurpose. 


The  California  Hake,  Mcrlucius productiis,  writes  Prof.  Jordan,  is  most 
commonly  known  along  the  coast  by  its  Italian  name,  ''  Merluccio,"  pro- 
nounced  mcrlooc/i.      At  Sociuel  and  elsewhere   it  goes  by  the  name   of 


3^'4 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\ 


TTorsc-markerel,  a  name  ust-d  on  our  coasts  with  the  greatest  carelessness, 
heing  a|ii)lie(l  to  Elops  saiiriis,  Atioplopoiiui  fnnhria,  and  Mcrliicius  pro- 
iluctiis,  as  well  as  to  various  scombroids  and  carangoiil  fishes.  It  rea(  hes 
a  length  of  about  thirty  indies  and  a  weight  of  ten  pounds,  its  average 
weight  l)eing  five  or  six.  It  is  found  from  tlie  Ishmd  of  Santa  Cruz  Kj 
.Vlaska,  being  very  irreguhir  in  its  appearance,  some  years  very  abundant 
and  at  other  times  wanting  altogether.  It  is  exceedingly  voracious,  feed- 
ing on  all  sorts  of  small  fishes  and  s(iuids.  The  stomach  is  always  filled 
almost  to  bursting. 

It  spawns  in  the  spring,  and  its  arrival  near  the  coast  always  pre<  etles 
the  dejiosition  of  the  spawn.       It  ])robal)ly  then  retires  to  deeper  water. 

Its  value  as  a  food-fish  is  very  little.  It  is  scarcely  salable  in  tlie  mar- 
ket of  San  Francisco.  Its  flesh  is  very  soft,  and  il  is  always  ragged-looking 
when  shipjied.  Nothing  was  learned  as  to  the  (juality  of  its  flesh,  but  it 
l>robably  differs  little  from  the  Atlantic  form  Mcrlucius  bilincaris. 


■  i  ■■    V    '  1%  ■'  JJm'  •*»•»♦♦  •  » «  »  •  •  ♦  •  •  »  «  •»  •  •  ! '.  .'..V,x\s%  ^ >  *■'  v: 


Tin;  sTiiu'i;!)  Mti.i.r.T. 


THE  MULLETS. 


Still  sh.ill  lio  l\car(l  the  1(m>iis  Iniio  cry 
I'liMii  the  stream,  ami  Id  their  rest 
I.^iii;  trniips  of  iiirlews  seaward  (ly, 
At  sunset  to  their  sandy  nest. 
Still  JDViiiis  fri>ni  the  sparklini;  tide 
With  silver  siiles  shall  Mnllels  Icip 
The  ea^lc  sn.ir  in  wonted  pride, 
And  hy  their  eyrie  stroiii;  and  wide 
On  the  dry  oak  heside  the  deep, 
Their  watch  shall  hiisy  ospreys  keep. 

William  J.  i'iuaysdn  :  7'/ir  AVrrr  Coosa. 


/^N  our  eastern  coast  there  are  two  species  of  J/z/i,--/*/,  the  ditrerences  he- 
^^^tween  which  are  sometimes,  though  not  always  recognized  by  fisliermen. 
The  most  familiar  is  the  Strii)e(l  Mullet,  J///',i,77  alhitlii ;  the  other  is 
the  so-called  "White  Mullet,"  Afiti^il  />nisi7i(nsis.  The  former  is  the 
larger,  and  has  eight  instead  of  nine  rays  in  the  anal  fin,  and  forty-two 
instead  of  thirty-eight  scales  between  the  gill  openings  and  the  base  of  the 
caudal  fin.  There  has  been  so  much  confusion  among  writers  regarding 
the  species  of  this  family  upon  our  coast  that  it  has  until  very  recently 
been  impossible  to  define  jirecisely  their  geographical  range.  The 
Strii)ed  Mullet  occurs  ii;  the  West  Indies,  the  dulf,  and  from  Lower  Cali- 
fornia to  Peru.  A  single  specimen  of  M.  I'rirsi/irnsis,  was  taken  at 
Provincetown,  in  November,  1S51.  North  of  New  Jersey  the  capture  of 
a  large  individual  is  very  unusual.  In  July  great  numbers  of  them,  about 
an  inch  in  length,  have  been  observed  on  the  Connecticut  coast,  especially 
in  the  vicinity  of  Noank  ;  the  fishermen  there  call  them  by  the  name  of 


«'  niiii'fisli  Mnminit  lio^'."  On  various  parts  of  the  coast  tlicy  have  spcrial 
naiiK's.  \vlii<  h,  liowcxer.  (h)  not  apiivar  to  refer  to  spe)  ial  pe<  uViarities. 
Ahoiit  Cape  llatteras  the  names  "  Jumping'  Mullet"  and  "  Saiul  Mullet  " 
()( «  iir  ;  in  Northainpttm  County,  \'a.,  "  I'at-bark,"  and  in  Southeastern 
Florida  "Silver  Mullet"  and  "  nij,'-eyed  Mullet."  The  nana-  "  I'at- 
lia(  k  "  is  also  in  use.  hut  whether  this  name  is  used  for  Mullets  in  j^eneral, 
or  simplv  ft)r  those  in  parti*  ularly  good  < ondition,  I  have  been  unable  to 
learn.  In  the  (lulf  of  .Mexi(  o  the  Striped  .Mullet  is  known  simply  as  the 
'•  .Mullet  ";   the  other  spe<  ies  as  the  "  Silver  Mullet." 

'I'here  are  seventy  or  more  spet  ies  of  Mullets,  some  of  which  are 
found  on  every  stret(h  of  (i». 1st  line  in  the  world  in  the  temperate  and 
tropi<  al  /ones.  They  live  in  the  sea,  and  in  the  brackish  waters  near  the 
mouths  of  rivers,  'i'hey,  like  the  menhaileii.  thon,i,di  indeed  to  a  still 
greater  degree,  subsist  on  the  organic  substances  whic  h  are  mingled  with 
the  mud  and  sand  on  the  bottom. 

In  order  to  prevent  the  larger  bodies  from  passing  into  the  stomach,  or 
substanrcs  from  passing  through  the  gill  openings,  they  have  the  organs  of 
the  pharynx  modified  into  a  I'dtering  apparatus.  'I'hey  take  in  a  (piantity 
of  sand  and  mud,  and  after  having  worked  it  for  some  time  between  the 
]>har\iigeal  bones,  they  eject  the  roughest  and  most  indigestible  portion  of 
it.  l^a(  h  brt)nchial  arch  is  provided  on  each  side,  in  its  whole  length, 
with  a  series  of  ( losely  set  gill-rakers,  which  are  laterally  bent  downwaril, 
each  series  closely  fitting  into  the  scries  of  the  adjoining  arch  ;  these  con- 
stitute together  a  sieve,  admirably  adapted  to  jiermit  a  transit  for  the 
water,  retaining,  at  the  same  time,  every  other  substance  in  the  cavity  of 
the  pharynx.  'I"he  intestinal  tract  is  no  less  peculiar,  and  the  stomach, 
like  that  of  the  menhaden,  resembles  the  gizzard  of  a  bird.  'I'he  intestines 
make  a  great  number  of  circumvolutions,  and  are  seven  feet  k)ng  in  a 
specimen  thirteen  inches  in  length. 

Although  Mullets  are  abunclant  almost  everywhere,  it  is  probable  thit  no 
stretches  of  sea-coast  in  the  world  are  so  bountifully  supplied  with  them 
as  those  of  our  own  Southern  Atlantic  and  (lulf  States,  with  their  broad 
margin  of  partially  or  entirely  land-locked  brackish  water  and  the  numerous 
estuaries  and  broad  river  mouths.  The  mullet  is  jirobably  the  most 
generally  popular  and  the  most  abundant  fish  of  our  own  whole  southern 
seaboard.  Like  the  menhaden,  it  utilizes  food  inaccessible  to  other  fishes, 
groping  in  the  bottom  mud,  which  it  swallows  in  large  cjuantities.     Like 


SI 


L 


Tirr.  Mrr.i.ETs. 


,\f^7 


the  iiiciiIukUii.  it  is  imt  only  c  aiij^'ht  ixtcnsivily  I'V  man.  Imt  i><  tin.'  iiuiiii 
artirk-  of  food  fur  all  tiu-  laigi-r  fislKs,  and  is  the  hist  jiait  lisli  of  tlu' 
rfgions  in  \vlii(  h  it  odurs.  In  tlu-  tlisciissiitii  of  the  haliits  of  tlu-  MiilUt. 
when  it  is  not  otherwise  stated,  the  Stiiiieil  Mullet,  \vhi(  ii  is  in  our  waters 
by  far  tiie  most  important  si)e(  ies.  is  kej)!  (  hielly  in  mind. 

SiiKe  the  tinie  of  ("a|>t.  John  Smith  e\ery  oltserver  has  remarkeil  upon 
the  ^Teat  alumd.im  e  of  Mullets.  Numerous  rorrespondeiits  of  the  I'ish 
Connnission,  from  \Vilnunj,'ton  south,  aj^ree  th.u  the  Mullet  is  lar  more 
abundant  than  any  other  sjiec  ies.  ex(  ept  .Mr.  Simpsctn.  who  thinks  that  at 
Cape  llatteras  they  are  less  numerous  than  the  tailors  or  Mue-fish,  and 
about  as  numerous  as  the  f.it-bat  ks  or  menhaden. 

In  1S75  circulars  were  sent  out  I>y  the  I'niteil  States  I'i^h  Commission, 
asking  information  concerning  the  habits  of  the  iNbillet.  'I'he  replies, 
although  suggestive,  were  not  suffii  iently  numerous  to  afford  the  data 
necessary  for  a  complete  biography  of  this  s])cc  ies.  In  fact  its  habits  are 
so  peculiar  that  in  order  to  unclerstand  them  it  will  be  nee  es>.ir\  lor  snine 
naturalist  to  cle\ote  a  considerable  period  of  time  to  study  them  thn  ugh 
out  the  whole  extent  of  their  range.  .\t  j^resent.  therefore,  1  propi»e  to 
l)resent  first  the  results  of  my  own  observations  upon  this  fish,  as  it  oc  eurs 
in  Mastern  l''lorida,  supplementing  them  with  the  e\c  ellent  study  of  the 
(Julf  .Mullet  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Stearns. 

Mullets  abound  in  the  Si.  John's  River,  sometimes  running  up  to  the 
lakes,  and  along  the  coast  in  all  the  iidand  bays,  or  "  salt-water  rivers." 
It  is  probably  incorrect  to  call  them  anadromoiis.  They  ajjpear  to  ascend 
the  rivers  to  feed,  and  the  relative  saltness  of  the  water  is  a  matter  of 
small  irajjortance.  Small  mullet  are  abundant  all  the  year  round,  and  so 
are  scatterecl  individuals  of  a  larger  si/e.  Cast-nets  at  Mayport  take 
them  throughout  the  year.  I  have  taken  cpiantities  of  small  fish,  from  one 
to  five  inches  long,  in  the  St.  John's  near  .Arlington.  They  begin  to 
assemble  in  schools  in  midsummer.  This  is  probably  preparatory  to 
spawning,  for  at  this  time  the  ova  are  beginning  lo  mature.  In  miilsum- 
mer  they  swim  at  the  surface,  i)iirsued  by  enemies  in  the  water  and  the  air, 
and  are  an  easy  prey  to  the  fishermen.  They  prefer  to  swim  against  the 
wind,  and,  1  am  told,  school  best  with  a  northeast  wind.  They  also  i)re- 
fer  to  run  against  the  tide.  The  spawning  season  ajtpears  to  continue 
from  the  middle  of  Noveml)er  to  the  middle  of  January,  and  the  weight 
of  evidence  tends  to  show   that  they  spawn  in   brackish  or  salt  water. 


, 


;6S 


.DfER/CAX  FISHES. 


\t 


H 


{!!     I 


I 


Some  of  the  fishermen  say  that  they  go  on  the  mud-flats  and  oyster-beds 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  to  deposit  their  eggs.  What  becomes  of  them 
after  this  no  one  seems  to  know,  but  it  is  probable  that  they  spread  them- 
sehes  throughout  all  the  adjacent  rivers,  bays,  and  sounds,  in  s'uch  a 
manner  as  not  to  be  i^erceptible  to  the  fishermen,  who  make  no  effort  at 
this  time  to  secure  the  spent,  lean  fish.  Many  of  them  probably  find 
their  way  to  the  lakes,  and  others  remain  wherever  they  find  good  feeding 
grounil,  gathering  flesh  and  recruiting  strength  for  the  great  strain  of  the 
next  spawning  season.  There  is  no  evidence  of  any  northern  or  southern 
coastwise  migrations,  the  habits  of  the  species  apparently  being  very  local. 

The  fisherman  recognizes  three  distinct  periods  of  schooling  or  separate 
runs  of  mullet.  To  what  extent  these  are  founded  on  tradition,  or  upon 
the  necessity  of  change  in  the  size  of  the  mesh  of  Mieir  nets,  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  say.  The  "  June  Mullet "  average  about  five  to  the  i)ound  ;  the 
"Fat  Mullet,"  which  are  taken  from  August  20  to  October  i,  weigh 
about  two  pounds  ;  these  have,  the  fishermen  say,  a  "  roe  of  fat  "  on  each 
side  as  thick  as  a  man's  thumb.  The  "Roe  Mullet"  weigh  about  two 
and  a  half  pounds,  and  are  caught  in  November  and  until  Christmas. 
Between  the  seasons  of  "Fat  Mullet"  and  "'Roe  Mullet"  there  is  an 
intermission  of  two  or  three  weeks  in  the  fishing.  How  to  interpret  these 
curious  stat'-ments  is  surely  a  difficult  problem,  and  one  which  can  be 
solved  only  by  careful  study  of  the  fishes  themselves  at  these  seasons.  The 
fishermen  insist  that  these  schools  come  successively  down  the  river  and 
proceed  directly  out  to  sea.  They  will  not  believe  that  the  "  Fat  Mullet  " 
and  the  ,"  Roe  Mullet"  are  the  same  schools  under  different  circum- 
stance.s.  I  would  hazard  the  suggestion  that  the  "Fat  Mullet"  of 
September  are  the  breeding  fish  of  November,  with  roes  in  an  immature 
state,  the^ova  not  having  become  fully  differentiated. 

The  largest  fish  appear  rarel;'  to  exceed  six  pounds.  This  is  exceptional, 
however.  Mr.  W.  H.  Tate,  of  Melton  &  Co.,  Jacksonville,  tells  me  that 
he  never  saw  one  exceeding  seven  pounds,  though  he  had  heard  of  one 
weighing  fourteen.  He  showed  me  on  the  flooi  of  the  fish-market  a  line 
indicating  the  length  of  a  very  large  one  ;  this  measured  twenty-nine 
inches.  At  Mayport  none  had  been  seen  exceeding  six  pounds  in  weight. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  St.  John's  cast-nets  ten  feet  in  diameter  are  used, 
but  most  Mullet  are  taken  in  gill-nets,  which  are  swept  around  the 
schools,  the  fish  being  easily  visible  at  the  surface.      These  nets  are  from 


THE  MULLETS. 


569 


It. 
:1, 


seventy  to  ninety  fathoms  long  and  forty  meshes  deep.  The  si/.e  of  the 
inesh  varies  with  the  season.  Very  few  are  used  from  I)eceml)er  to  Jidy, 
but  where  they  are  used  the  mesh  two  and  one-half  to  two  and  tliree- 
(juarters  inches  is  jireferred  ;  from  .\ut,'ust  i  to  ()<  tober  i,  for  •'  Fat  Mul- 
let," the  mesh  is  three  and  onedialf  to  three  and  three-(|uarters  inches, 
and  in  late  October,  November,  and  l)eceml>er,  for  "Roe  Mullet,"  four 
inches — at  least  so  said  my  informant,  an  intelligent  negro  fisherman. 
At  Mavport  there  were  in  1S85  two  swee|)-seines,  seventy-five  fathoms  long 
and  thirty  feet  deep,  belonging  to  Kemp,  Mead  iV'  Smith,  used  in  the  Mullet 
fishery. 

There  is  a  large  trade  in  fresh  Mullet  iced,  of  the  extent  of  whi(  h  I 
could  gain  but  little  idea  ;  they  are  shipped  chiefly  to  Central  l-'lorida  and 
(ieorgia.  Some  have  been  sent  in  ice  to  Atlanta.  About  twenty  thous- 
and are  shipped  from  Yellow  Bluffs,  by  way  of  Jacksonville. 

It  is  the  general  opinion  of  the  fishermen  that  the  Mullet  have  greatly 
diminished  in  abundance  of  late  years,  and  that  they  are  not  one-third  as 
])lenty  as  they  were  ten  years  ago.  'I'his  falling  off  is  attributed  t(.)  the 
presence  of  steamers,  to  the  changes  of  the  season,  and,  most  of  all,  to  the 
use  of  small-meshed  seines,  which  catch  the  yoimg  fish  in  great  numbers, 
and  to  the  constant  fishing  by  numerous  nets,  which  destroys  a  large 
proportion  of  the  mother-fish  from  year  to  year.  Mr.  Isaac  Calsam,  of 
New  IJerlin,  told  me  that  ten  or  twelve  years  ago  a  man  with  a  cast-net 
could  easily  take  four  or  five  hundred  Mullet  in  a  <lay,  wliile  now  it  is 
difficult  to  get  any  ;  this  is  due  in  i)art  to  their  shyness.  Mullet  were 
comparatively  scarce  in  the  St.  John's  in  1877,  though  ])lenty  in  1S76. 
The  fishermen  with  whom  I  have  talked  favor  the  passage  of  la\.s  pro- 
hibiting the  use  of  gill-nets  with  a  smaller  mesh  than  three  inches,  and 
thus  to  allow  the  escape  of  the  young  fish,  and  of  a  close  time  during 
which  fishing  shall  cease — for  instance  from  Saturday  night  to  Monday 
morning.  And  then  they  say,  with  a  regretful  shake  of  the  head,  that  the 
Mullet  always  run  best  on  Sunday.  There  are  probably  one  hundred  or 
more  Mullet  nets  on  the  St.  John's,  yielding  an  average  of  ])erhaps  five 
thousand  Mullet  each  annually.  The  fisheries  are  chiefly  carried  on  by 
negroes  in  small  boats,  dug-outs,  and  skiffs,  although  every  resident  fishes 
for  Mullet  in  summer  when  there  is  nothing  else  to  do,  and  when  the 
^lullet  is  the  best  food  and  the  easiest  obtained.  There  is  no  salting 
business  of  commercial  importance  in  East   Florida,   though  considerable 


'El: 


quantities  are  put  up  for  domestic  consumjition.  Salt  Mullet  sell  at  the 
rate  of  eight  or  ten  dollars  a  barrel,  or  five  or  six  fish  for  twenty-five  cents. 
I  had  an  opj^ortunity  of  tasting  some  salted  by  a  negro  at  Mill  Cove,  and 
<an  bear  testimony  to  their  excellence.  Their  flavor  is  more  like  that  of 
salted  salmon  than  of  mackerel,  and  they  are  hard,  toothsome,  and 
not  at  ail  "muddy"  in  taste,  this  last  being  the  usual  charge  made 
against  the  Mullet.  Usually  only  the  "Fat  Mullet"  are  salted,  the 
"  Roe  Mullet  "  being  caught  later  in  the  season,  when  they  can  easily  be 
shipped. 

To  ])repare  a  Mullet  for  salting,  the  head  is  first  cut  off,  then  a  cut  is 
made  on  each  side  of  tiie  back-bone,  down  the  back,  and  the  bone  is 
removed  ;  the  fish  may  then  be  spread  out  flat,  and  packed  in  a  barrel. 
In  packing,  the  flesh  side  is  carefully  i)laced  up,  the  skin  down.  The 
fish  are  sjiread  out  flat  upon  the  skin  side  and  are  laid  in  tiers  across  the 
bottom  of  the  barrel,  each  tier  being  covered  with  salt.  Care  is  taken  to 
have  the  direction  of  the  bodies  in  the  different  tiers  at  right  angles  to 
each  other.  When  the  Mullet  are  scaled  before  packing  they  command  a 
somewhat  higher  i)rite.  Mullet  roes,  though  usually  eaten  fresh,  are 
sometimes  salted  and  dried  in  the  sun.  In  this  condition  they  are  eaten 
raw,  like  dried  beef,  or  are  fried.  Large  ones  sell  for  ten  cents  a  pair. 
Fishermen  often  boil  the  heads  to  extract  the  oil,  which  they  use  to  lubri- 
cate their  guns. 

Mr.  Silas  Stearns  has  ])repared  a  most  valuable  study  of  the  habits  of 
the  Mullet,  and  writes  as  follows  : 

"The  Mullet  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  and  valuable  food-fishes  of  the 
(lulf  coast.  It  is  present  on  the  coast  and  in  the  estuaries  of  the  Gulf 
throughout  the  year,  and  in  most  jjlaces  is  pursued  by  fishermen  at  all 
seasons,  yet,  for  so  common  and  important  a  fish,  its  habits  seem  to  be 
but  little  known  or  understood.  Intelligent  fishermen  of  long  experience 
at  particular  jjoints  ha\  c  learned  many  details  regarding  their  local 
movements,  which  may  disagree  in  many  respects  with  those  at  some 
other  point  a  hundred  miles  or  so  away.  A  few  months  spent  on  the 
southern  part  of  the  Florida  coast  has  led  me  to  believe  that  there  is  a 
less  migratory  movement  of  Mullet  in  that  section  than  along  the  northern 
Gulf  coast.  It  is  i)rol)able  that  in  each  bay  or  section  or  coast  Mullet 
have  peculiar  hal)its  as  to  time  and  manner  of  arrival,  time  and  ])lace  of 
spawning,  and  the  general  habits  of  old   iish  after  spawning  and   voung 


Tin:  MULLETS. 


3/1 


after  hatching.  It  is  also  likely  that  their  manner  of  spawnin^u  an<l  feed- 
ing is  the  same  everywhere.  My  own  o])ser\  atinns  ha\e  been  c  hietlv 
made  in  IV'nsacx)la  and  Choctowhatchee  Hays  and  Santa  Rosa  Sound, 
whicli  take  in  fifty  miles  of  coast  line.  In  this  se(  tion.  whi(  h  1  liaxe  called 
the  Pensacoki  region,  there  is  a  spring  *  run  '  of  Mullet  ( omjiosed  of 
various  sizes  of  young  which  are  in  part,  no  do'il>t,  of  tlie  previous  vear's 
hatching.  The  first  school  of  this  run  appears  on  tiie  ( oa^t  in  Ajiril  or  in 
the  first  part  of  May.  and  they  continue  to  come  for  two  or  three  weeks. 
when  they  are  all  inside  and  scattered  about  the  hay  shores.  These  fish 
are  very  thin  on  their  arrival,  but  rapidly  fatten  and  grow  on  the  feeding 
grounds.  Some  of  these  contain  spawn  at  lirst.  and  in  some  it  is  de\eloped 
tluring  the  summer. 

"  In  September  and  0(  tober  there  is  a  •  run  '  of  large  fish,  which  (omes, 
as  usual  from  the  eastward,  the  fish  swimming  at  tlie  surface  of  the 
water  and  making  considerable  comniotion.  Some  \ears  there  is  but  one 
large  school  in  the  '  nm  '  and  at  others  many  small  schools,  and  it  is 
thought  that  the  fish  are  more  abundant  when  they  come  in  the  latter 
form.  At  Chotawhatchee  Inlet,  when  the  spawning  grounds  are  near  by, 
the  fish  come  in  with  the  Hood  tide  and  go  out  again  with  the  ebb  tide  ; 
and  at  the  Pensacola  Inlet,  when  the  spawning  grounds  are  far  away,  they 
come  into  the  bay  and  stay  until  the  operation  of  spawning  is  over.  'J'he 
spawn  in  this  fall  '  run  '  is  fully  developeil,  and  is  deposited  in  October 
and  November.  The  spawning  grounds  are  in  fresh  or  brackish  water  at  the 
heads  of  bayous,  in  rivers  or  heads  of  bays.  The  many  bayous  of  Choc- 
tawhatchee  Bay  are  almost  blocked  U})  with  s])awning  Mullet  in  ()ctol)er, 
and  they  are  very  abundant  at  the  head  of  Pensacola  I5ay  near  the  mouths 
of  fresh-water  rivers  at  that  time.  Although  1  have  been  in  the  bayous 
when  Mullet  were  supposed  to  be  sjxiwning.  I  have  not  witnessed  the 
operation,  nor  seen  any  j)erson  who  has.  In  such  places  tlie  bottom  is 
grassy,  sandy,  and  muddy,  the  water  varying  with  the  tide  from  fresh  to 
brackish,  and  of  a  temperature  varying  from  70°  to  75°  I-'.  It  is  suj)- 
posed  that  the  spawn  is  deposited  upon  the  bottom.  If  they  hare  been 
spawning  at  the  times  when  I  have  been  present,  I  would  say  that  the 
operation  was  a  general  one.  That  they  do  spawn  at  or  near  these  places 
is  quite  certain,  for  they  go  to  them  with  sjiawn  and  come  away  without 
it,  and  the  young  fry  first  api)ear  near  the  same  places.  Crabs  and  alli- 
gators  are   abundant     in    such  places,   and  they  doubtless  destroy  many 


37: 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


! 


n 


of  the  eggs  and  fry.  TJcforc  spawning  Mullet  arc  very  fat,  but  after  the 
operation  arc  extremely  thin  and  worthless  for  food.  Their  colors  also 
undergo  some  changes,  at  sea  being  bright  blue  on  the  back,  which 
deepens  to  a  light  brown  in  the  l)ays  and  to  a  dark  brown  in  fiesh  water. 
\\y  these  characteristics  it  is  not  difficult  to  determine  the  locality  where  a 
lot  of  Mullet  are  caught. 

"  Some  persons  of  this  coast  agree  that  Mullet,  or  any  other  sea-fish,  will 
not  bear  sudden  change  from  salt  to  fresh  water,  and  to  meet  this  argu- 
ment I  made  an  experiment  with  Mullet  in  1879.  I  took  a  dozen  or  more 
medium-sized  Mullet  from  the  warm  shoal  water  of  the  bay  and  placed 
them  in  cool,  fresh  spring  water.  They  swam  around  very  rai)idly  for 
about  half  an  hour,  then  sank  to  the  bottom  of  the  spring,  where  they 
remained,  apparently  comfortable,  for  twelve  hours.  Before  leaving  the 
spring  I  returned  them  to  their  native  waters,  seemingly  in  as  good  con- 
dition as  when  first  caught.  The  bay  water  was  at  that  time  77°  F.  and 
the  spring  water  71°  F. ,  a  difference  of  6°  and  a  change  from  pure  salt 
to  pure  fresh  water. 

"After  spawning,  in  October  and  November,  the  Mullet  leaves  these 
bays  in  small  schools,  going  directly  to  deep  water  if  the  weather  is 
stormy,  and  following  the  beach  along  if  there  is  not  much  surf.  Those 
that  have  been  in  the  bays  all  the  summer  leave  also  at  about  this  time, 
many  of  them  having  spawned  at  the  same  time  with  the  full  '  run.'  A 
few  of  these,  having  just  reached  maturity,  are  found  with  spawn  nearly 
all  winter ;  also,  some  young  stragglers.  In  F\'bruary,  March,  and 
April  young  Mullet,  varying  from  one  to  two  and  a  half  inches  long,  are 
found  in  great  al)undance  along  the  bay  shores.  Mullet  grow  to  about 
eight  inches  in  length  the  first  year,  to  twelve  or  thirteen  inches  the  second 
year,  when  they  are  mature.  The  average  size  of  adults  is  twelve  inches 
in  length,  weightabout  one  and  acpiarter  pounds.  The  largest  I  have  seen 
measured  twenty  inches  long  and  weighed  four  and  a  half  pounds.  It  was 
caught  at  Charlotte  Harbor,  Fla.  Mullet  of  that  size  are  extremely  rare 
in  West  Florida.  Those  of  South  Florida  are  much  larger,  as  a  rule,  than 
those  found  further  north.  There  they  are  also  far  more  abundant  than 
on  the  coasts  of  West  Florida,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and 
Texas. 

"  In  October,  Charlotte  Harbor,  Sarasota  and  Palmasola  Bays,  seem  to  be 
the  headquarters  of  all  the   Mullet  of  the  Gulf.     Tampa  Bay,   Anclote 


THE  MULLETS. 


^  ■»  -5 


River,  Homosassa  River  and  vicinity,  are  also  favorite  spawning  places. 
During  the  fall  they  move  in  such  immense  schools  that  the  noise  of  their 
si)lashing  in  the  water  resembles  distant  thunder;  and  to  persons  living 
near  the  river  or  bay,  their  noise,  kept  up  day  and  night,  becoming  very 
annoying.  These  schools  are  followed  by  large  numbers  of  sharks,  jior- 
poises.  and  other  destructive  fishes,  as  well  as  ])elicans  and  like  sea-birds, 
all  of  which  eat  of  the  Mullet  until  tliey  (an  eat  no  more,  and  ha\e  to 
make  way  for  fresh  arrivals.  In  spite  of  these  enemies  and  those  of  the 
eggs  and  fry.  Mullet  are  as  plentiful  as  formerly,  according  to  the  general 
opinion  of  the  fishermen  of  the  coast." 

The  Mullet  is  a  bottom-feeding  fish,  and  jirefers  still,  shoal  water  with 
grassy  and  sandy  bottom.  It  swims  along  the  l)ottom,  head  down,  now  and 
then  taking  a  mouthful  of  earth,  which  is  partially  culled  over  in  the  moutli, 
the  microscopic  particles  of  animal  matter  or  vegetable  matter  retained, 
and  the  refuse  expelled.  ^Vhen  one  fish  finds  a  spot  rich  in  their  desired 
food,  its  companions  immediately  Hock  around  in  a  manner  that  reminds 
one  of  barn-yard  fowls  fee<ling  from  one  dish.  The  Mullet  eats  verv 
little  compared  with  other  fish  of  its  size.  It  preys  on  no  other  fish,  and 
is  preyed  upon  by  nearly  all  other  common  fishes  larger  than  itself.  It 
does  not  readily  take  the  hook,  l)ut  can  sometimes  l)e  caught  with  a  bait 
of  l)anana,  or  one  manufactured  from  cotton  and  flour.  It  is  the  most 
widely  distributed  fish  of  the  (lulf  of  Mexico,  being  found  on  tlie  sea- 
beach  everywhere,  in  all  the  bays  and  sound,  and  even  far  up  fresh-water 
rivers  and  in  fresh-water  lakes  that  have  outlets. 

Concerning  the  other  species  of  Mullet,  Miigil  brasiliciisis,  as  occurring 
in  the  (lulf,  Mr.  Stearns  writes: 

"It  is  common,  and  is  found  in  company  with  the  J/z/i^'v'/  alhula  and 
usually  considered  with  it,  and  the  old  fishermen  of  Pensacola  distin- 
guished it  and  have  given  it  the  above  name.  I  have  found  sj)awn  in 
them  in  May  and  June.  On  the  southern  coast  they  are  \ery  abundant, 
and  ajjpear  in  Key  ^^'est  almost  daily  in  the  fall  and  winter." 

"On  the  California  coast  occurs  J/z/j,'-//  alhula,'''  writes  I'rof.  Jordan, 
"which  is  commonly  known  as  the  'Mullet.'  It  reaches  a  lengtii  of 
about  fifteen  inches.  It  is  very  abundant  about  San  Diego,  and  thence 
south  to  Mazatlan,  and  it  ranges  occasionally  northward  as  far  as  Monte- 
rey. It  enters  creeks  and  lagoons,  ascending  as  tar  as  the  brackish 
water  extends,  in  the  winter,  and  thus  is  often  land-locked  in  great 
numbers,  which  are  then  destroyed  by  the  sea-birds,  especially  by  the 
pelicans,  and  a  few  are  taken  in  seines.      It  swims  in  schools  in  the  bays. 


J  /  ■ 


.  / ME RICAX  FISHES. 


and  its  presence  is  made  known  by  its  frecnient  leaps  from  tlie  water.  It 
is  said  that  the  Mullet  has  long  been  known  at  San  Diego,  but  that  it  first 
made  its  appearance  at  vSan  Tedro  in  1S77.  It  is  not  well  known  either  at 
Santa  Uarbara  or  So(piel,  although  occasionally  taken  at  both  places. 
Those  fishermen  who  have  given  the  matter  any  attention  assert  that  the 
Mullet  is  gradually  extending  its  range  northward.  Jt  feeds  on  mud  and 
minute  organisms  contained  in  it.  It  is  considered  a  good  food-fish  when 
taken  from  the  ocean.  In  the  muddy  lagoons  it  accpiires  in  summer  a 
rank  llavor. " 

The  Mullet  of  America  compared  to  the  (Irey   Mullet  of  Murope,  must 
be  carefully  distinguished  from  the  ^[ullus  of  classical  literature. 


TllK  RKD  MULLET  Ol'  IMIiOl'R. 

This  fish,  the  Red  Mullet  or  Surmullet  of  modern  nomenclature  was  the 
favorite  of  the  gourmets  of  ancient  Athens  and  Rome.  It  was  brought 
living  into  the  banquet  hall,  that  the  guests  might  admire  the  brilliant 
change  of  color  exhibited  in  its  expiring  struggles.  There  are  two  or  three 
related  species  in  our  waters,  one  of  which  Upencus  flavovittatus,  the  Goat- 
fish,  is  occasionally  captured  in  New  England. 


THE  STURGEONS. 


On  the  white  sand  of  the  hottoni 
Lay  tlic  nicmstor  .Mi>lio-\,ihin.i 
Lay  the  sturgeon,  King  v(  Fi>lies. 

Longfellow  ;  Hiawatha' s  /'isliin^. 


npWO  species  of  Sturgeon  are  supposed  to  exist  on  our  Atlantic  coast. 
The  most  abundant  of  these,  Aript'iiscr  o.\yr/i\iic/iits,  is  now  generally 
sup|)Osed  to  be  identical  with  the  common  Sturgeon  of  ICurope,  ./.  sttirio. 
The  other,  A.  brcvirostris,  which  is  distinguished  from  A.  oxyrJiyucliiis  by 
its  shorter  and  blunter  nose,  has  not  yet  been  found  north  of  Cape  Cod, 
and  appears  to  be  comparatively  less  abundant,  although  both  si)ecies  are 
founil  in  great  numbers  in  the  larger  rivers  and  estuaries  during  the  si  m- 
mer  season,  and  are  fre([uenily  seen  leaping  from  the  water,  especially  at 
dusk.  A  lea[)ing  Sturgeon  is  a  striking  object,  the  whole  length  cjf  the 
fish  appearing  above  the  surface  before  it  falls  back  with  a  splash  into  the 
water. 

The  Sturgeon  attains  the  length  of  five  to  twelve  feet.  In  Murope,  indi- 
viduals of  the  common  Sturgeon  eighteen  feet  long  ha\e  been  observed. 
They  spawn  in  spring  and  early  summer,  in  the  lower  stretc  lies  of  the 
rivers,  and  perhajts  also  at  tiieir  mouths,   in  brackish  water. 

The  mouth  is  situated  upon  the  under  surface  of  the  head,  ami  is  not 
provided  with  teeth,  but  is  surrounded  with  a  cup-shaped  organ  composed 
of  powerful  muscular  tissue,  by  means  of  which  it  grubs  for  its  food  in  the 
mud.  Its  stomach  resembles  that  of  the  menhaden  and  mullet,  though 
comparatively  more  muscular,  since,  like  the  gizzard  of  a  fowl,  one  of  its 
uses  is  to  triturate  the  food  which  has  been  swallowetl,  and  which  consists 
largely  of  mollusks,  and  crustaceans.  Around  the  mouth  is  a  group  of 
large  anil  sensitive  tentacles,  which  aiel  the  fish  in  its  search  for  food. 

No  one  has  yet  made  a  careful  study  of  the  habits  of  the  Sturgeon  in  our 
waters,  and  in  fact  European  zoologists  have  made  little  progress  in  the 
study  of  the  species  of  the  Old  World. 

Within  the  past  few  years  the  capture  of  the  Sturgeon  for  smoking  and 
for  the  manufacture  of  caviare  from  its  eggs  has  attained  considerable 
importance  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  most  satisfactory  discussion  of  this 
fish  is  that  publisheil  by  Milner  in  Part  II,  of  the  Report  of  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission,  jiages  67  to  75. 


I  i 


Till-:  r.vTKisii. 


THE  CATFISH  OR  BULL-HEAD. 


I'    i: 


liiin't  tnlk  111  me  u'  Imiiiii  f.it 
Or  t;iIors,  iniMi  or  '|iossiini, 
K(i'  wlicii  I'sc  houkfil  a  yallcr  cat 
I'sc  got  a  meal  to  lioss  'cm. 

J'/u-  Darky  aiui  the  Citt/isli. 


I  [if 


^T^H1C  Catfish  is  somewhat  like  />ii/i'  i/r /(>/(•  j^n/s  or  pickled  olives. 
-■■  Those  who  do  not  very  much  like  it  detest  it.  'I'he  metropolis  of  its 
])Opularity  is  Thiladelphia.  but  whene\er  taken  from  clear,  cool  water  it  is 
])alatal)le,  and  when  properly  cooked  e\en  delicious,  its  textureand  flavor 
resembling  that  of  the  eel.  Since  every  small  boy  begins  his  angling  ex- 
periences with  Catfish,  instructions  for  its  capture  would  besuperfiuous.  Its 
appetite  is  always  good,  and  its  jialate,  or  whatever  stands  for  jjalate  in 
fish  architei'ture,  by  no  means  delicate.  A  spice  of  danger  attends  its 
<apture,  and  perhaps  the  excitement  of  taking  one  of  them  off  the  hook, 
atones  in  part  for  its  lack  of  gameness  in  the  water,  for  a  well  constituted 
catfish  always  gorges  the  hook,  and  its  spines,  always  erected,  inflict  pain- 
ful wounds.  Certain  anglers  I  believe,  essay  the  cai)ture  of  catfish  with 
fly  and  fancy  tcukle.  It  would  be  cruel  to  deprive  ingenious  tyros  of 
the  privilege  of  learning  this  method  for  themselves. 

I  am  assured  that  salt  mackerel  is  almost  as  good  a  bait  as  angle-worms 
or  live  minnows — a  secret  of  great  economic  importance  to  small  bovs. 
Another  secret  is  this,  that  the  catfish  never  bites  when  an  east  wind  is 
blowing. 


yy//;  catfish  or  ni'LL-HEAD. 


.•>/  / 


I  am  iiulcbtcd  to  President  Jordan  of  IiuIkuki  I'nivcrsit) .  for  the 
following  remarks  upon  this  grou|) : 

"The  Catfishes  abomid  in  all  the  t'resh  waters  of  the  United  States  east 
of  the  Ko(  ky  Mountains.  'I'iie  spec  ies  of  the  three  genera,  Jctaluiiis, 
.liniiinis,  and  Lt-ptops,  which  constitute  the  bulk  of  the  family  as  ri'pre- 
siMited  in  North  America,  all  reach  a  length  of  from  one  to  fi\e  feet,  and 
are  all  food-fislies  of  more  or  less  importance.  One  of  the  C'atli^hes. 
Iiiiiliinis  pondcrosiis,  is  our  largest  fresh-water  tisli,  weighing  ujiwards  of 
one  liundred  and  ilfty  pounds,  and  two  of  the  others,  Leptops  oIi:\ir/s  and 
Ictaliinis  nii^riciJiis,  reac  h  a  very  ( onsiderable  si/.e. 

''The  C'atl'ishes  are  voracious  and  indiscriminate  feeders,  any  kind  of 
animal  substance,  living  or  dead,  being  greedily  swallowed  by  them. 
They  are  also  (es|)ecially  the  species  of  .liiiiiinis)  extremely  tenacious  of 
life,  living  for  a  long  time  out  of  water,  ami  being  able  to  resist  impurities 
in  the  water  better  than  any  other  of  our  food-fishes.  'I'hey  sj)awn  in 
spring,  and  the  female  fish  keeps  a  watch  over  the  school  of  young,  much 
as  a  hen  takes  care  of  chickens.  'I'he  Cati'ishes  are  especially  adapted  t'or 
stocking  ponds  and  sluggish  streams  with  muddy  bottoms,  wliich  become 
partly  dry  in  summer,  bodies  of  water  not  suited  for  the  more  aristocratic 
trout  and  bass. 

'•  The  species  of  the  genus /(■/(i'///;7/j' — known  as  "Channel  Cats"  are 
much  less  hardy  than  the  other  Catfishes,  and  do  not  thrive  well  excejjt  in 
river  channels.  Any  water  which  does  not  dry  up  absolutely  to  the 
bottom  in  summer  will  suffice  to  nurture  the  common  small  Catfishes. 

••  The  llesh  of  all  the  Catfishes  is  of  fair  ([uality,  not  delicate  nor  tender, 
but  of  good  flavor.  The  Channel  Cats  have  whiter  meat  than  the  ordinary 
small  Catfish,  but  the  llesh  is  drier,  antl  the  latter  are  usually  preferred." 

The  Channel  Cat  or  Blue  Cat,  Ictaliints  puiictatus,  abounds  in  all  the 
larger  Western  and  Southern  streams,  living  in  the  river  channels.  It 
reaches  a  weight  of  five  to  ten  i)ounds  and  is  readily  salable,  but  its  llesh 
is  not  better  than  that  of  its  less  attractive  relatives.  It  takes  the  hook 
readily.  This  species  is  abundant  in  the  St.  John's  River,  b'lorida.  In 
1S7S  many  were  taken  near  the  bar  at  Alayport  in  brackish  water.  For 
table  use  they  are  much  more  highly  esteemed  than  the  Mud  Catfisli. 

The  Great  Mississippi  Cat,  Ictalunts poiuicrosus,  the  largest  of  our  Cat- 
fish, is  found  in  the  Mississippi,  and  probably  in  its  larger  tributaries, 
where  it  reaches  a  weight  of  about  one  huntlred  and  fifty  pcjunds.  Little 
distinctive  is  known  of  its  habits,  which  probably  agree  with  those  of  the 
next  species. 

The  Great  Lake  Catfish.  Jctaliinis  nii^riiwis.  the  most  abundant  of  the 
large  Catfishes,  abounds  m  the  Great  Lakes  and  in  the  larger   streams   of 


.1 


or 


AMICKJCA.y  J'JSJIES. 


tlic  West  and  South  as  far  as  Florida.  It  rcaclit's  a  wciglit  of  fifty  to  t)nc 
hundred  jjounds,  pcrhaiis  more.  In  all  the  markets  of  the  region  where 
found  it  is  one  of  the  most  important  sjiciies,  and  its  flesh,  which  can  he 
cut  in  ••steaks"  like  Halibut,  is  generally  esteemed.  Nothing  distinctive 
is  known  of  its  breeding  habits  or  rate  of  growth.  I'rof.  (ioode  remarks  : 
"  1  have  observed  freijuently  enormous  specimens  of  this  species  in  the  St. 
John's  River,  where  they  are  called  Mud  Cats.  The  young  are  sometimes 
called  '•  I'Mannel-Mouth  Cats." 

'I'he  White  Catfish,  the  Channel  Cat  of  the  Potomac,  Itfa/tinis  albidits, 
of  the  tributaries  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  is  very  abimdant  in  the  Susiiue- 
hanna  and  Potomac  Rivers,  and  forms  an  important  part  of  the  fish 
sujiply  of  the  Washington  market.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  two  to  five 
l)Ounds.  being  much  smaller  than  the  preceding  species,  which  it  resembles. 

Ainiunis  //(-/'///(W/jr,  the  common  "  Horned  Pout,"  *' UuU-head,"  ••  Jhill- 
pout,"  or  "Minister  "of  the  Northern  and  Eastern  States  is  the  most 
generally  abundant  and  Himiliar  representatives  of  this  family.  It  reaches 
a  length  of  about  eighteen  inches  and  rarely  e.xceeds  three  or  four  pounds 
in  weight,  while  the  majority  of  those  seen  in  the  markets  are  still  smaller. 
It  is  i)rol)ably  the  hardiest  of  all  our  fresh-water  fishes,  thriving  in  any 
waters,  but  preferring  those  which  are  c]uiet  and  shaded.  Numerous  other 
species  very  similar  to  this  occur  in  our  fresh  waters. 

The  Bull-head  has  been  introduced  from  the  Schuylkill  into  the  Sacra- 
mento and  San  Joacjuin  Rivers  in  California.  It  has  there  very  rapidly 
multiplied,  and  is  now  common  in  all  the  sloughs  and  bayous  of  the  lower 
courses  of  these  rivers.  As  a  food-fish  it  is  not  very  highly  valued  by  the 
Californians,  most  of  those  brought  to  market  being  taken  by  the  Chinese. 
Li'ptops  olivaris,  the  "Mud  Cat,"  "Yellow  Cat,"  "Cloujon,"  or 
"Bashaw"  is  found  in  all  the  large  rivers  of  the  West  and  South.  It 
reaches  a  weight  of  at  least  fifty  pounds.  It  is  found  only  in  the  larger 
streams,  swimming  near  the  bottom.  It  is  less  attractive  in  its  appearance 
than  the  other  Catfishes,  but  we  are  not  aware  that  its  flesh  is  inferior  to 
that  of  the  others.  This  species,  and  other  of  the  larger  Catfishes,  are 
often  caught  by  "jugging,"  the  bait  being  attached  to  a  jug  filled  with 
air,  which  will  in  time  tire  out  the  fish  and  bring  it  to  the  surface. 

The  Stone  Cat,  Noturtis  flavus,  reaches  a  length  of  about  a  foot ;  the 
other  Stone  Cats  {Notiiriis)  are  still  smaller,  and  none  of  them  can  be 
considered  as  food-fishes. 


THE  CATl'ISir  OR  JULL-Jfl-AD. 


r,9 


The  (laff-topsail  Catfish,  .l-'.luriclithyi  iiiivinns,  \vhi(  li  ranges  from  fapo 
Cod  to  I'lorichi,  is  found  (  hictly  in  brae  kish  water.  It  is  not  iincotunionly 
taken  at  Arlington,  I-loriihi.  and  I'.niiure  Point.  It  is  known  here  and  at 
IVnsacoia  as  the  "  Sea  Cat."  and  at  Ihnnswiik,  da.,  as  ••  Ciaff  topsail." 
in  allusion  to  the  shajie  of  the  tirst  dorsal  fin.  According  to  Mr.  II.  S. 
AN'illianis,  it  is  abundant  in  the  Indian  River,  it  is  ( onnnon  also  along 
tlie  Ciiilf  coast,  but  is  nowhere  valued  as  food.  Many  of  the  fishermen 
believe  this  species  to  be  \i\ii)arous.  Mr.  S.  C.  Clarki'.  writing  from  New 
Smyrna,  March  31,  1S74,  remarks:  ''They  have  eggs  in  them  as  large  as 
cherries." 


TiiK  s.vi.r  wATiiii  (■.v•r^'ISlI. 
The  Salt-water  Catfish.  .//■/// j7<7/V,  is  found  along  the  coas;s  of  the  C.ulf 
of  Mexico  to  as  far  north  as  Cape  I latleras.  In  the  first  volume  of  the 
Proceedings  of  the  United  States  National  Museum,  p.  27S.  is  an  interest- 
ing account  of  its  breeding  habits,  as  observed  by  Prof.  N.  T.  I.upton. 
The  species  spawns  there  in  July,  and  the  parent  (sex  not  stated)  tarries 
the  eggs  in  its  mouth.      Silas  Stearns  says  of  this  fish  : 

"  The  Salt-water  Catfish  is  very  abundant  everywhere  on  the  C.ulf  coast. 
It  is  found  on  the  sea-beaches,  the  shores  and  bottoms  of  bays  and  bayous, 
and  even  some  distance  up  fresh-water  streams.  It  is  a  bottom-loving 
fish,  feeding  upon  worms  and  small  crustaceans  chielly,  but  will  reailily 
eat  anything  else— fish,  ilesh,  or  fowl,  dead  or  alive.  As  the  pest  of  these 
waters,  it  is  ever  present  and  never  welcome.  It  breeds  in  the  summer, 
in  June,  July,  and  August.  The  spawn  is  deposited  in  the  depression  in 
the  sand  and  impregnated  with  the  milt.  One  of  the  parent  fish  then 
takes  the  eggs  in  his  mouth  ami  by  some  movement  fixes  them  against  the 
gills,  or  between  the  leaves  of  the  gills.  'I'he  eggs  are  carried  in  this 
position  until  the  embyro  fish  are  hatched  and  have  l)ecome  i)ertect  and 
able  to  care  for  themselves.  The  eggs  when  full  size  resemble  white 
grapes;  they  are  large  and  clear.  Sometimes  the  parent  fish's  jaws  are 
much  distended  by  the  eggs  and  young  inside,  and  its  appearance  is 
comical. 


'  r 


J  {I 


:r  r 


'  I 


:| 


380 


// .U/CA'/C.IX  /'/S/fKS. 


The  Catfish  lias  bcL-n  introdiicid  in  lluroiK",  and  in  Ik-lgiuni  is  alri.wiy 
fairly  wi-ll  acdimati'd.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  introduce  it  into 
Kn^land  —  an  act  of  international  (ourtesy  which  mij,dit  perhaps  offset  in 
a  slight  degree  onr  debt  to  our  motherland  lor  the  gift  of  the  I'.nglish 
Sparrow.  Puiicli  in  this  connection  has  made  his  only  tontribiitiun  to  thj 
literature  offish  culture  under  the  caption  :  — 

NO  CATFISH,  I'LKASi: ! 

Oil  do  not  hrins:  tlic  Catfish  here  ! 
Till'  Cattish  is  a  name  of  fear. 

Oh,  s|)are  eacii  stream  and  spring. 
Tlie  Keiuut  Swift,  the  Waiulle  cUar, 
Tile  lake,  the  lorii,  the  broad,  tlie  mere, 

lYom  that  detested  tiling  ! 

The  Catfish  is  a  hideous  beast, 
A  bottom-feeder  that  doth  feast 

Upon  unholy  bait  : 
He's  no  addition  to  your  meal. 
He's  rather  richer  than  the  eel; 

And  ranker  than  the  skate. 

His  fare  is  broad,  and  Hat,  and  glum  ; 
He's  like  some  monstrous  miller's  thumb  ; 

He's  bearded  like  the  pard. 
15elu)lding  him  the  grayling  fiee. 
The  trout  take  refuge  in  the  sea. 

The  gudgeons  go  on  guard  ! 

He  grows  into  a  startling  size  ; 

The  Ilritish  matron  'twould  surprise. 

And  raise  her  burning  blush. 
To  see  white  catfish,  large  as  man, 
Through  what  the  bards  call  "  water  wan  " 

Come  with  an    ugly  rush  ! 

They  say  the  catfish  climbs  the  trees, 
And  robs  the  roosts,  and,  down  the  breeze. 

Prolongs  his  catterwaul. 
Ah,  leave  him  in  his  western  flood, 
Where  Mississippi  churns  the  mud  ; 

Don't  bring  him  here  at  all ! 


Li 


THE  HERRING  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


Hut  why,  good  fisherman, 

Am  I  tlimiuhl  muat  fur  ycni,  that  never  yet 

Hail  auiiliiiii  roj  cast  towanls  me  ? 

MiODLETON  AND  DeKKARI  Moll  Cut  PursC,  iClI, 


lielweeii  ilark  liilU  "ii  lilhcr  liilo 
riie  salt  sea-liich  runs  r>r  a  mile, 
And  iiuw,  suii-cliarmed  to  a  smile, 
Clleams  bright  its  tlow  iiij;  frnlliin;^  tide, 
lint  lo  !  each  wave  to  silver  turns 
In  da/zling  fire  the  whole  loch  hums, 
Millions  of  IJerrint;  dart  and  splash 
Eajh  one  a  living  liyhtuing  llush. 

William  Sharp:  --/  I/crring  Shoal,  18 


'nr'HE  Herring  f:\mily  contributes  more  generously  than  any  other  group 
of  atjuatic  animals  to  the  supjjort  of  man,  and  the  Herring  is  beyond 
(juestion  the  most  important  of  food-fishes.  l)istril)uted  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  North  Atlantic,  it  affords  occupation  for  immense  fleets  of 
fishing  boats,  and,  according  to  Huxley,  the  number  taken  every  year 
out  of  the  North  Sea  and  Atlantic  is  at  least  3,000,000,000  with  a  weight 
of  at  least  1,500,000,000  pounds.  According  to  Dambeck,  the  average 
yield  in  Norway  from  i860  to  1S70  amounted  to  1,452,000,000  pounds. 
Hoklsworth  placed  the  yield  of  Scotland  in  1873  at  188,000,000  jjounds, 
their  capture  requiring  15,095  boats  with  crews  of  45,494  men.  In  the 
same  period  in  the  English  fisheries  he  states  that  15,321  boats  were  used. 
France,  Ireland  and  Belgium  have  also  Herring  fisheries  of  considerable 
extent,  and  Germany  in  less  degree.  In  1874,  according  to  compilations 
and  estimates  of  Prof.  Hind,  200,000,000  pounds  of  Herring  were  taken 


382 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


in  the  waters  of  British  North  America,  and  in  1880  nearly  43,000,000 
pounds  were  obtained  on  the  east  coast  of  the  United  States.  Summing 
up  tlie  aggregate  of  these  statements  and  estimates,  and  allowing  to  Ire- 
land, Belgium,  Germany  and  France,  a  product  equal  to  that  cited  for 
Scotland,  we  have  an  aggregate  of  250,000,000  pounds. 

Commenting  upon  the  supposed  injurious  effect  of  the  fisheries  upon  the 
abundance  of  this  fish,  Prof.  Huxley  in  his  well-known  lecture  upon  the 
Herring,  delivered  at  the  International  Fishery  E.xhibition  at  Norwich  in 
1 88 1,  remarked  as  follows  : 

"  It  is  said  that  2,500,000,000,  or  thereabout,  of  Herrings  are  every 
year  taken  out  of  the  North  Sea  and  the  Atlantic.  Suppose  we  assume  the 
number  to  be  3,000,000.000,  so  as  to  be  quite  safe.  It  is  a  large  number, 
undoul)tedly,  but  what  does  it  come  to?  Not  more  than  that  of  the  Her- 
rings -vhich  may  be  contained  in  one  shoal,  if  it  covers  half  a  dozen  square 
miles,  and  shoals  of  much  larger  size  are  on  record.  It  is  safe  to  say  that 
scattered  through  the  North  Sea  and  the  Atlantic,  at  one  and  the  same 
time,  there  musi  be  scores  of  shoals,  any  one  of  which  would  go  a  long  way 
toward  supplying  the  whole  of  man's  consumption  of  Herrings.'" 

So  well  known  was  the  Herring,  from  the  earliest  ciays,  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Northern  Europe  and  to  their  descendants  who  migrated  to  the 
western  shores  of  the  Atlantic,  that  one  name  serves  to  designate  the  fish 
in  the  languages  of  a  majority  of  the  peoples  to  whom  it  is  known.  Its 
name  in  English,  German,  and  Dutch,  though  differently  spelled,  is 
pronounced  in  exactly  the  same  way.  To  the  Scandinavians  it  is  known 
by  the  name  "  Sill."  France  in  the  name  Clupee  employs  a  form  of  the 
Latin  for  fishes  01  diis  group  by  which  the  same  fish  is  known  to  these 
nations  when  described  in  the  language  of  their  men  of  science.  There 
are  also  local  names  to  designate  certain  conditions  and  ages.  To  this 
class  belongs  the  name  "Sperling,"  employed  by  our  own  fishermen  of 
Cape  Ann  to  denote  the  yoimg  Herrings.  Corresponding  to  this  name 
the  word  "  Stromming  "  is  used  in  Sweden. 

The  Herring  is  found  in  the  temperate  and  colder  parts  of  the  North 
Atlantic.  On  the  west,  its  range  extends  south  to  Sandy  Hook,  at  the 
entrance  of  New  York  Harbor,  where  it  is  found  occasionally  in  mid- 
winter, and  on  the  north  as  far  as  Northern  Labrador,  diminishing  in 
numbers  perhaps  toward  the  northern  extreme.  On  the  east  its  southern 
limit  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  while  northward  it  is  foqnd 
in  the  White  Sea  and  on  the  southern  shores  of  Si)itzbergen.     It  of  course 


TJfE  HERRIXG  AXD  ITS  ALLIES. 


■•s  •> 


does  not  enter  the  Mediterranean,  though  it  is  almndant  in  the  North 
Sea  and  in  the  Baltic. 

The  temperature  preferred  by  the  Herring  lias  been  more  carefully 
determined  in  Europe  than  here.  The  observations  of  tlie  Scotch  ami 
Dutch  meteorological  societies  have  demonstrated  that  the  temi)erature 
of  the  water  most  favorable  to  the  summer  Herring  fisheries  of  their 
respective  countries  is  about  55°. 4  F.,  though  during  the  Scott  h  winter 
fisheries  the  temperature  ranges  from  40°.!  F.,  and  during  the  Norwegian 
spring  Herring  fisheries  it  ranges  from  37°. 4  F.  to  39°. 2  F. 

Discussing  the  causes  of  the  movements  (jf  the  Herring  schools.  Prof. 
Baird  in  1877  wrote  as  follows. 

"  Altliough  the  movements  of  the  Herring  apjiear  to  be  very  capricious, 
they  are  doubtless  governed  as  much  by  well-defined  laws  as  any  other 
jiortion  of  creation,  although  we  are  yet  lar  from  understanding  t'ully  the 
conditions  which  control  their  actions.  They  sometimes  freiitieiit  a  ]ior- 
tion  of  the  European  coast  for  many  successive  years,  and  then  abandon 
it  gradually  or  sudilenly,  presenting  themselves  usually  at  the  same  season 
in  some  far  remote  locality.  Sometimes  a  wind  blowing  on  shore  will 
favor  their  inward  migration  ;  at  other  times  it  appears  to  have  a  directly 
opposite  effect.  Even  when  they  reach  the  portion  of  the  coast  for  which 
they  are  bound,,  the  facilities  of  their  capture  depend  upon  meteorological 
conditions  ;  and  the  Scottish  Meteorological  Society  has  been  engaged  for 
several  years  in  ascertaining  what  these  are,  and  how  thev  mav  be  Ix'st 
applied  by  the  fishermen." 

So  far  as  is  known,  the  abundance  of  Herrings  in  the  Western  Atlantic 
has  been  constant  during  the  past  two  centuries  ;  at  the  same  time  so 
little  is  our  fishing  population  dependent  on  the  Herring  fisheries  wlien 
compared  with  that  of  Northern  Europe  that  variations  in  abundance  not 
being  regarded  as  national  disasters  would,  except  jierhaps,  in  the  casL-  of 
Newfoundland,  scarcely  have  been  placed  definitely   upon   record. 

Prof.  Baird's  remarks  concerning  the  periodicity  of  the  Herring  sup])lv 
in  Northern  Europe,  may  be  found  in  the  Quarto  Fisheries  Rei)ort. 

There  are  several  interesting  series  of  observations  ujion  the  spawning 
habits  of  the  Herring,  the  hatching  of  the  egg,  and  the  de\elo[)inent  of 
the  young;  all  of  which  may  be  found  in  the  later  volumes  of  tlie  Report 
of  the  United  States  Commissioner  of  Fisheries,  and  in  Prof.  Huxley's 
lecture  on  the  Herring. 

In  the  sjiring  of  1878  the  first   successful   ex])eriinents   in    the  artificial 


384 


AMEKICAX  FISHES. 


propagation  of  Herring  were  carried  on  in  Germany  by  Dr.  H.  A.  Meyer, 
of  the  Commission  for  Scientific:  Investigation  of  the  (lerman  Seas,  at  Kiel, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  by  Mr.  R.  1-^.  Earll,  of  the  United  States 
Fish  Commission,  at  (iloiicester.  A  translation  of  Dr.  Meyer's  i^aper  may 
l)e  found  in  the  United  States  Fish  Commission  Rei)ort,  part  vi,  pp.  629- 
63S,  and  a  brief  summation  of  Mr.  Karll's  experiments  in  the  same 
volume.  i)p.  727-729. 

Much  has  been  written  wyow  the  food  of  the  Herring,  and  the  transla- 
tion from  an  article  in  "  Die  Xatur,"  Xo.  47,  1869,  printed  in  the  (juarto 
Report  of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  expounds  in  a  very  satisfactory  man- 
ner recent  views  of  Furojiean  authorities  upon  the  subject. 

The  methods  of  capture  of  the  Herring  are  fully  described  in  the  publi- 
cations of  the  Fisli  Commission,  but  being  always  of  a  commercial 
charaitcr  will  not  be  referred  to  here.  The  Herring  fishery  is  as  yet  of 
comjiaratively  small  important:e  in  America,  but  is  constantly  increasing, 
and  in  time  will  without  doubt,  approximate  in  extent  that  of  Northern 
Furope,  especially  after  our  countrymen  shall  have  begun  to  pay  attention 
to  the  now  multiplying  resources  of  our  Pacific  coast,  where  there  are  at 
least  two  species  sufficiently  abundant  to  be  of  value  to  fishermen. 

"  One  of  these,  Cluf'ca  miralnlis,  is  universally  known  as  the  Herring," 
v,rites  Prof.  Jordan.  It  indeed  scarcely  differs  in  size,  appearance,  or 
cpialities  from  the  Herring  of  the  Atlantic.  It  reaches  a  length  of  about 
a  foot.  It  is  found  for  the  entire  length  of  the  coast,  being  exceedingly 
abundant  northw.vrd.  All  the  bay  sand  outlets  of  Puget  Sound  are  filled 
with  them  in  the  summer.  South  of  Point  Conception  they  are  seldom 
seen  excei)t  in  winter.  At  San  Diego  they  spawn  in  the  bay  in  January. 
Farther  north  their  spawning  season  comes  later.  They  are  so  abundant 
in  San  Francisco  Bay  in  the  spring  that  eighty  pounds  can  often  be  bought 
for  twenty  cents.  They  are  fattest  and  bring  the  best  price  in  early  winter. 
The  Herrings  are  smoked  and  dried,  or  salted,  or  sent  fresh  to  the  mar- 
kets. Sometimes  herring  oil  is  exj^resseil  from  them.  The  principal 
herring-curing  establishment  is  at  Port  Madison,  on  Puget  Sound." 

Prof.  Huxley,  in  his  Norwich  address,  expressed  belief  that  the  true 
Herring  probably  occurs  in  the  Pacific,  but  there  is  no  reason  to  believe 
that  his  supijosition  was  correct. 

Still  another  is  the  California  Sardine,  Cliipea  sagax.  "This  species," 
writes   Prof.  Jordan,    "is  everywhere   known   as  the   Sardine,    or  by  the 


THE  IIERRIXG  AXD  ITS  ALLIES. 


3S5 


Italians  as    'Sanlina.'      It   i^ 


111 


act.    a 


liiiost   cxactlv  iflentical  with    tlu 


Sardine  of  Europe.      It  reaches   a   length  of  a  little  less  than  a  foot.      It 
ranges  from  Cape  Mendocino  to  Chili,  and  is  extremely  almndant  south- 

unnner 


^\ 


ard,  especially  in  the  winter,  when  it  fills  all  the  bays.  In  the  s 
it  is  generally  scarce  southward,  although  still  taken  nurthward.  'I'he 
young  are,  however,  seen  in  San  Hicgo  in  the  sunnner.  It  is  probably  to 
some  extent  migratory  along  the  (oast.  but  as  little  attention  is  paid  to  it, 
no  definite  data  can  be  given.  It  is  brought  into  the  markets  when  taken, 
and  is  sold  with  the  Herring.      'I'he  tpiestion  of  the  possibility  of  canning 


it    in   oil,  like   the  Sardine,  ha^ 


been    co 


nsiderablv  discussed.      It  would 


probably  jn-ove  unprofitable,  l"roin   the  high  price  of  labor  and    the  uncer- 
tain sujijily  of  fish." 


Far  more  abundant  than  the  Herring,  and  occurring  at  times  o 


n  all 


])art^ 


of  om-  Atlantic  coast,  is  ijie  Menhaden,  LhuToor/iit  /xra/imis.  This  specie^, 
has  at  least  thirty  jiopular  names,  most  of  them  limited  in  their  use  within 
narrow  geographical  boundaries.  To  this  (ircumstance  maybe  attributed 
the  i)revailing  ignorance  regarding  its  habits  atid  migrations,  among  our 
fishermen,  whic  h  has  jierhaps  prevented  the  more  extensive  utilization  of 
this  fish,  particularly  in  the  South. 


Tin:  mi;niiai)i:n". 

North  of  Cape  Cod  the  name  "Pogy''  is  almost  universally  in  use, 
while  in  Southern  New  England  the  fisk  is  known  011  ly  as  the  ••  Menhaden." 
These  two  names  are  derived  t"rom  two  In<lian  words  of  the  same  meaning  ; 
the  first  being  the  Abnaki  name  •■  I'ookagan,"  or  '•  I'oghaden,"  which 
means  "fertilizer,"  while  the  latter  is  the  modification  of  a  word  which 
in  the  Narragansett  dialect  meant  ••that  which  enriches  the  earth." 
About   Cai)e   Ann,    "Pogy"    is   [jartially  replaced   by  "  Hard-head "   or 


II 


:l  i 


il 


fj  '■; 


386 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


"Hard-head  Shad,"  and  in  Eastern  Connecticut  "Bony  Fish."  In 
Western  Connecticut  the  species  is  usually  known  as  the  "White-fish," 
while  in  New  York  the  usage  of  two  centuries  is  in  favor  of  "  Mossbunker." 
This  name  is  a  relic  of  the  Dutch  colony  of  New  Amsterdam,  having 
evidently  been  transferred  from  the  "Scad,"  or  "Horse  Mackerel," 
Traci'iiiriis  laccrta,  a  fish  which  visits  the  shores  of  Northern  Euroj^e  in 
immense  schools,  swimming  at  the  surface  in  much  the  same  manner  as 
our  Menhaden,  and  known  to  the  Hollanders  as  the  "  Marsbanker." 
New  Jersey  uses  the  New  York  name  with  its  local  variations,  such  as 
"Bunker"  and  "  Marshbanker."  In  Delaware  Bay,  the  Potomac  and 
the  Chesapeake,  we  meet  with  the  "Alewife,"  "  Bay  Alewife,"  "  Pilcher  " 
(Pilchard),  and  "Green-tail."  Virginia  gives  us  "Bug-fish,"  "Bug- 
head"  and  "Bug-shad,"  referring  to  the  parasitic  crustacean  found  in 
the  mouths  of  all  Southern  Menhaden.  In  North  Carolina  occurs  the 
name  "Fat-back,"  which  prevails  as  far  south  as  Florida,  and  refers  to 
the  oilincss  of  the  flesh.  In  this  vicinity,  too,  the  names  "Yellow-tail" 
and  "  Yellow-tail  Shad  "  are  occasionally  heard,  while  in  Southern  Florida 
the  fish  is  called  "  Shiner  "  and  "  Herring."  In  South  America,  among 
the  Portuguese,  the  name  "  Savega  "  is  in  use.  On  the  St.  John's  River, 
and  wherever  Northern  fishermen  are  found,  "  Menhaden  "  is  preferred, 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  name  will  in  time  be  generally  adopted. 
A  number  of  trade  names  are  employed  by  the  manufacturers  in  New 
Jersey  who  can  this  fish  for  food  ;  these  are  "American  Sardine,"  "Ameri- 
can Club-fish,"  "Shadine"  and  "Ocean  Trout." 

The  geographical  range  of  Brcvooriia  tyraiiiuis  varies  from  year  to  year. 
In  1877  it  was,  so  far  as  it  is  definable  in  words,  as  follows:  The  wander- 
ings of  the  species  are  bounded  by  the  parallels  of  north  latitude  25"  and 
45°;  on  the  continental  side  by  the  line  of  brackish  water;  on  the  east 
by  the  inner  boundary  of  the  Gulf  Stream.  In  the  summer  it  occurs  in 
the  coastal  waters  of  all  the  Atlantic  States  from  Maine  to  Florida,  in 
winter  only  south  of  Cape  Hatteras.  The  limits  of  its  winter  migration 
oceanwards  cannot  be  defined,  though  it  is  demonstrated  that  the  species 
does  not  occur  about  the  Bermudas  or  ("uba,  nor  presumably  in  the  Carib- 
bean Sea. 

AVith  the  advance  of  spring,  Menhaden  appear  near  our  coasts  in  com- 
pany with,  and  usually  slightly  in  advance  of,  the  other  non-resident 
species,  such  as  the  Shad,  Alewife,  bluefish  and  squeteague.     The   follow- 


THE  HERRIXG  AXD  ITS  .  ILL  U.S. 


3^7 


Bilg- 


ing general  conclusions  regarding  their  moxetnents  are  dediK  ed  fi'im  the 
statements  of  about  two  hundred  observers  at  different  imintsoii  the  (  oasts 
from  Florida  to  Nova  Scotia. 

At  the  approacli  of  settled  warm  weather  tliey  make  their  appearance  in 
the  inshore  waters.  It  is  manifestly  imi)racti(  able  to  indicate  the  periods 
of  their  movements  excejit  in  an  approximate  wav.  The  c(Mnparisi)n  of 
two  localities  distant  apart  one  or  two  hundred  miles  will  indicate  \ery 
little.  When  wider  ranges  are  compared  there  beiomes  perceptible  a  cer- 
tain proportion  in  the  relations  of  the  general  averages.  There  is  always 
a  balance  in  favor  of  earlier  arrivals  in  the  more  southern  localities  ;  thus 
it  becomes  apparent  that  the  first  schools  appear  in  Chesapeake  Ikiv  in 
March  and  April  ;  on  tlie  coast  of  New  Jersey  in  April  and  earlv  May  ; 
on  the  coast  of  New  England  in  late  Ai)ril  and  May  ;  off  (/ape  Ann  about 
the  middle  of  May,  and  in  the  (lulf  of  Maine  in  the  latter  part  of  Mnv 
and  the  first  of  June.  Returning,  they  leave  Maine  late  m  September  or 
in  October;  Massachusetts  in  October.  November  and  December,  the 
latest  departures  being  those  of  fish  whicli  liave  been  detained  in  the  nar- 
row bays  and  Creeks  ;  Long  Island  Sound  and  vicinity  in  November  and 
December  ;  Chesapeake  Bay  in  December,  and  Cape  Hatteras  in  Januarv. 
Farther  to  the  south  they  ai>pear  to  remain  more  or  less  ( onstantly 
throughout  the  year. 

The  arrival  of  the  Menhaden  schools  is  closely  synciironous  with  the 
period  at  which  the  weekly  average  of  the  surface  temperatures  of  the 
harbors  rises  to  51°  F.,  that  they  do  not  enter  waters  in  which,  as  aliout 
Eastport  Me.,  the  midsummer  surface  temperatures,  as  indicated  by 
monthly  averages,  fall  below  51°  F.,  and  tliat  their  departure  in  the 
autumn  is  closely  connected  with  the  fall  of  the  thermometer  to  51'^  F. 
and  below. 

The  arrival  of  the  Menhaden  is  announced  by  their  a|)pearance  at  the 
top  of  the  water.  Theyswim  in  immense  schools,  their  heads  close  to  tlie 
surface,  packed  side  by  side,  and  often  tier  above  tier,  almost  as  closely 
as  sardines  in  a  box.  A  gentle  ripple  indicates  their  jjosition,  and  this 
may  be  seen  at  a  distance  of  nearly  a  mile  by  the  lookout  at  the  masthead 
of  a  fishing  vessel,  and  is  of  great  assistance  to  the  seiners  in  setting  their 
nets.  At  the  slightest  alarm  the  school  sinks  toward  the  bottom,  often 
escaping  its  pursuers.  Sailing  o\er  a  body  of  Menh:iden  swimming  at  a 
short    distance    below   the    surface,    one  may  see   their    glittering    backs 


It! 


I  Ii 


388 


AMERICAN  FISHER. 


beneath,  and  the  boat  seems  to  be  gliding  over  a  floor  inlaid  with  blocks 
of  silver.  At  night  they  arc  phosphorescent.  Their  motions  seem  cai)ri- 
cious  and  without  a  definite  purpose  ;  at  times  they  swim  around  and 
around  in  circles  ;  at  other  times  they  sink  and  rise.  While  they  remain 
tkus  at  the  surface,  after  tlie  ajipearance  of  a  vanguard  they  rajjidly  in- 
crease in  abundance  until  the  sea  ajjpears  to  be  alive  with  them.  They 
delight  to  jjlay  in  inlets  and  bays,  such  as  the  Chesapeake,  Peconic  and 
Narragansett  Bays,  and  in  former  years  frequented  the  narrow  fiords  cf 
Maine.  They  seem  particularly  fond  of  shallow  waters  protected  from  the 
wind,  in  which,  if  not  molested,  they  will  remain  throughout  the  season, 
drifting  in  and  out  with  the  tide.  Brackish  water  attracts  them,  and  they 
abound  at  the  mouth  of  streams,  especially  on  the  Southern  coast. 

Why  the  schools  swim  at  the  surface  so  conspicuous  a  prey  to  men, 
birds  and  other  fishes  is  not  known.  It  does  not  appear  to  be  for  the  pur- 
pose of  feeding  ;  perhaps  the  fisherman  is  right  when  he  declares  that  they 
are  playing. 

An  old  mackerel  fisherman  thus  describes  the  difference  in  the  habits  of 
the  mackerel  and  Menhaden  :  "  Fogies  school  differently  from  mackerel; 
the  Pogy  slaps  with  his  tail,  and  in  moderate  weather  you  can  hear  the 
sound  of  a  school  of  them,  as  first  one  and  then  another  strikes  the  water. 
The  mackerel  go  along  "  gilling,"  that  is,  putting  the  sides  of  their  heads 
out  of  the  water  as  they  swim.  The  Pogies  make  a  flapping  sound  ;  the 
mackerel  a  rushing  sound.  Sometimes  in  calm  and  foggy  weather  you  can 
hear  a  school  of  mackerel  miles  away."  They  do  not  attract  small  birds 
as  do  the  schools  of  ])redaceous  fish.  The  fish-hawk  often  hovers  above 
them,  and  some  of  the  larger  gulls  occasionally  follow  them  in  quest  of  a 
meal. 

Their  winter  habitat,  like  that  of  the  other  cold-water  absentees,  has 
never  been  determined.  The  most  plausible  hypothesis  supposes  that 
instead  of  migrating  towards  the  tropics  or  hibernating  near  the  shore,  as 
has  been  claimed  by  many,  they  swim  out  to  sea  until  they  find  a  stratum 
of  water  corresponding  to  that  frequented  by  them  during  their  summer 
sojourn  on  the  coast. 

As  indicated  by  the  testimony  of  many  observers,  whose  stui.'ments  are 
elsewhere  reviewed  at  length,  the  Menhaden  is  by  far  the  most  abundant 
species  of  fish  on  the  eastern  coast  of  the  United  States.  Several  hundred 
thousands  are  frecjuently  taken  in  a  single  draft  of  a  purse-seine.     A  firm 


s 


THE  HERRING  AXD  ITS  ALLIES. 


389 


in  Milford,  Conn,,  caiiturcd  in  1S70,  S.Soo.ooo  :  in  1S71.  S. 000. 000  ;  in 
1872,  10,000,000  ;  in  1873,  12,000,000.  In  1S77  three  sloops  from  Now 
London  seined  13,000,000.  In  1877.  an  unprofitable  year,  the  PcnuKiuid  Oil 
Company  took  20.000.000.  and  the  town  of  IJooth  Bay  alone  3c. 000. 000. 
There  is  no  evidence  whatever  of  any  decrease  in  their  numbers,  though 
there  can  be  in  the  nature  of  the  case  absolutely  no  data  for  comparison 
of  their  abundance  in  successive  years.  Since  sjiawning  Menhaden  are 
never  taken  in  the  nets,  no  one  can  reasonably  ])redict  a  decrease  in  the 
future. 

The  nature  of  their  food  has  been  closelv  inxestiirated.  1  lun<lreds  of 
specimens  have  been  dissected,  and  every  stomach  examined  by  me  has 
been  found  full  of  dark  greenish  or  brownisli  mud  or  silt.  su(  li  as  oi  (  iirs 
near  the  mouths  of  rivers  and  on  the  bottoms  of  still  bays  and  estuaries. 
When  this  mud  is  allowed  to  stand  for  a  time  in  clear  water,  this  becomes 
slightly  tinged  M-ith  green,  indicating  the  jjresence  of  chlorophyl,  ]>erhaps 
derived  from  the  alga:,  so  common  on  muddy  bottoms.  In  addition  to 
particles  of  fine  mud  the  microscope  reveals  a  few  common  forms  of 
diatoms. 

There  are  no  teeth  in  the  mouth  of  the  Menhaden,  their  i)lace  being 
supplied  by  about  fifteen  hundred  thread-like  bristles,  from  one-third  to 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  long,  which  are  attached  to  the  gill-arches,  and 
may  be  so  adjusted  as  to  form  a  very  effective  strainer.  The  stomach  is 
globular,  pear-shaped,  with  thick,  muscular  walls,  reseud)ling  the  giz/ard 
of  a  fowl,  while  the  length  of  the  coiled  intestine  is  five  or  six  times  that 
of  the  body  of  the  fish.  The  jilain  inference  from  these  facts,  taken  in 
connection  with  what  is  known  of  the  habits  of  the  Menhaden,  seems  to 
be  that  their  food  consists  in  large  part  of  the  sediment,  containing  much 
organic  matter,  which  gathers  upon  the  bottoms  of  still,  protected  bays, 
and  also  of  the  vegetation  that  grows  in  such  localities.  They  also,  as 
was  demonstrated  by  A[r.  Rathbun  in  iSSo,  feed  very  extensixely  upon  tlvj 
minute  crustaceans,  Copcpoda,  &c.,  which  are  Ibuntl  in  great  t[uantities 
swimming  near  the  surface  in  the  summer  months  all  along  our  coast. 

Their  rajiid  increase  in  size  and  fatness,  which  commences  as  soon  as 
they  approach  our  shores,  indicates  that  they  find  an  abundant  supply  of 
some  kind  of  food.  The  oil  manufacturers  re])ort  that  in  the  spring  a  bar- 
rel of  fish  often  yields  less  than  three  ijuarts  of  oil,  while  late  in  the  fall 
it  is  not  uncommon  to  obtain  five  or  six  gallons. 


:' 


39° 


AMERICAN  I'/SIfES. 


m 


There  is  a  m\stcr\-  about  tlicir  breeding.  Thousands  of  specimens  have 
lieen  dissected  since  1871  \vith(nit  the  discovery  of  mature  ova.  In  early 
summer  the  genitaba  are  ([uite  undevelopeil,  l)Ut  as  the  season  aihances 
they  slowly  increase  in  size  u'ld  vascularity,  .\mong  the  October  fish  a 
few  ovaries  were  noticed  in  which  the  eggs  could  be  seen  with  the  naked 
eye.  A  school  of  large  fish  driven  ashore  in  November,  in  Delaware  Hay, 
by  the  bluefish,  contained  spawn  nearly  ri|je,and  others  taken  at  Christmas 
time,  in  Provincetown  harbor,  evidently  stragglers  accidentally  delayed, 
c(jntaine(.l  eggs  ipiite  mature.  Young  Menhaden  from  one  to  three  inches 
in  length  and  upward  are  common  in  summer  south  of  New  York,  anil 
those  of  five  to  eight  inches  in  late  summer  and  autumn  in  the  southern 
jiart  of  New  England.  These  are  in  schools,  and  make  their  appearance 
suddenly  from  the  open  ocean  like  the  adult  fish.  Menhaden  have  never 
been  observed  spawning  on  the  Southern  coast,  and  the  egg-bearing  indi- 
viduals when  observed  are  always  heading  out  to  sea.  These  considera- 
tions appear  to  warrant  the  theory  that  their  breeding  grounds  are  on  the 
off-shore  shoals  which  skirt  the  coast  from  George's  Banks  to  the  Florida 
Keys.  There  are  indications,  too,  that  a  small  school  of  Menhaden 
possibly  sjjawn  at  the  east  end  of  Long  Island  in  the  very  early  spring. 

The  fecundity  of  the  Menhaden  is  very  great,  much  surpassing  that  of 
the  Shad  and  Herring.  The  ovaries  of  a  fish  taken  in  Narragansett  Bay, 
November  i,  1S79,  contained  at  least  150,000  eggs. 

.\mong  its  enemies  may  be  counted  every  predaceous  animal  which 
swims  in  the  same  waters.  Whales  and  dolphins  follow  the  schools  and 
consume  them  by  the  hogshead.  Sharks  of  all  kinds  prey  upon  them 
largely  ;  one  hundred  have  been  taken  from  the  stomach  of  one  shark.  All 
the  large  carnivorous  fishes  feed  upon  them.  The  tunny  is  the  most  de- 
structive. "I  have  often,"  writes  a  Maine  observer,  "watched  their 
antics  from  the  masthead  of  my  vessel — rushing  and  thrashing  like  demons 
among  a  school  of  fish  ;  darting  with  almost  lightning  swiftness,  scattering 
them  in  every  direction,  and  throwing  hundreds  of  them  in  the  air  with 
their  tails."  The  pollock,  the  whiting,  the  striped  bass,  the  cod,  the 
sijueteague,  and  the  gar-fish  are  savage  foes.  The  sword-fish  and  the 
bayonet-fish  destroy  many,  rushing  through  the  schools  and  striking  right 
and  left  with  their  i)0werful  swords.  The  blue-fish  and  bonito  are,  how- 
ever, their  most  destructive  enemies,  not  even  excejjting  man  ;  these  corsairs 
of  the  sea,  not  content  with  what  they  eat,  which  is  of  itself  an  enormous 


THE  IIERRIXG  AXD  J  JS  ALLIES. 


y)^ 


([iKintity,  rush  ravenously  through  the  (  hjscly-crowdcil  schools,  cutting  and 
tearing  the  li\ing  fish  as  they  go,  and  leaving  in  their  wake  the  mangled 
fragments.  'I'races  of  their  carnage  remain  tor  weeks  in  the  great  *'  sli(  ks  " 
of  oil  so  commonly  seen  on  smooth  water  in  summer.  Trot".  15aird,  in  his 
well-known  and  ot'ten-(]uoted  estimates  of  food  annually  consumed  liy  the 
blue -fisli.  states  that  probably  ten  thousand  million  fi-h.  or  twenty-five 
million  pounds,  daily,  or  twelve  hundreil  million  million  fish  and  three 
hundred  thousand  million  pounds  are  mu(  h  below  the  real  llgures.  This 
estimate  is  for  the  period  of  four  months  in  the  miildle  of  summer  and  fall, 
and  for  the  coast  of  New  Fhigland  only. 

Such  estimates  are  i)rofesseilly  only  approximations,  but  are  legitimate 
in  their  way,  since  they  enable  us  to  appreciate  more  clearly  the  luxuriance 
of  marine  life.  Applying  similar  methods  of  calculation  to  the  Menhaden. 
I  estimate  the  total  number  destroyed  annually  on  our  coast  by  predaceous 
animals  at  a  million  million  of  millions  ;  in  comparison  with  whi(  h  the 
(juantities  ilestroyed  by  man.  yearly,  sink  into  insignillcance. 

It  is  not  hard  to  define  the  place  of  Menhaden  in  nature.  Swarming  in 
our  waters  in  countless  myriads,  swimming  in  closely  packed,  unwieldy 
masses,  helpless  as  flocks  of  sheep,  near  to  the  surface  and  at  the  mercy  of 
every  enemy,  destitute  of  means  of  defense  and  offense,  their  mission  is 
unmistakably  to  be  eaten. 

In  the  economy  of  nature  certain  ortlers  of  terrestrial  animals,  feeding 
entirely  upon  vegetable  substances,  seem  intended  for  one  purpose — to 
elaborate  simple  materials  into  the  nitrogenous  tissues  necessary  for  the 
food  of  other  animals,  which  are  wholly  or  in  part  carnivorous  in  their 
diet ;  so  the  Menhaden  feeding  upon  otherwise  unutilized  organic  matter 
is  pre-eminently  a  meat-producing  agent.  Man  takes  from  the  water  every 
year  eight  or  nine  hundred  millions  of  these  fish,  weighing  from  two  hun- 
dred to  three  hundred  thousand  tons,  Init  his  indebtedness  does  not  end 
here  ;  when  he  brings  upon  his  table  bluefish,  bonitoes,  weak-fish,  sword- 
fish,  or  bass,  he  has  before  him  usually  Menhaden  flesh  in  another  form. 

The  commercial  importance  of  the  Menhaden  has  only  lately  been 
rightly  appreciated.  Thirty  years  ago  and  before,  it  was  thought  to  be  of 
very  small  value.  A  few  millions  were  taken  every  year  in  Massachusetts 
Bay,  Long  Island  Sound,  and  the  inlets  of  New  Jersey.  A  small  jiortion 
of  these  were  used  for  bait  ;  a  few  barrels  occasionally  salted  in  Massa- 
chusetts to  be  exported  to  the  West  Indies.      Large  (piantities  were  plowed 


if 


39- 


A.MKRIC. IX  IISHES. 


into  tlir  soil  of  tlu'  farms  alonj,'  the  shores,  stimulating  the  crops  for  a  time, 
l)iit  in  the  y:\\^\  fillin.u  the  soil  with  oil,  pare  hing  it  and  making  it  unfit  for 
tillage.  Since  that  time  manifold  uses  ha\e  heen  foiuid.  As  a  bait-fish 
this  excels  all  others  ;  for  many  years  miu  h  the  greater  share  of  our 
mackerel  was  caught  by  its  aid,  while  the  cod  and  halibut  lleet  use  it  rather 
than  any  other  I'lsii  when  it  can  be  jirocured.  The  total  consumption  of 
iMenhaden  for  I)ait  in  1S77  did  not  fall  below  So, 000  barrels,  or  26,000,000 
fish,  \alue(l  at  S500.000.  Ten  years  before,  when  the  entire  mackerel 
Iket  was  ilshing  with  hooks,  the  consumiition  was  much  greater.  The 
Dominion  ma(  kerel  lleet  buy  Menhaden  bait  in  (piantity.  and  its  value  has 
been  thought  an  important  element  in  framing  treaties  between  our  govern- 
ment and  tliat  of  (Ireat  ISritain. 

As  a  food  resource  it  is  found  to  ha\e  great  possibilities.  Manv  hun- 
dreds  of  barrels  are  sold  in  the  \\'est  Indies,  while  thousands  oi  larrels  are 
salted  ilown  for  domestic  use  by  families  li\  ing  near  the  shore.  In  many 
sections  they  are  sold  fresh  in  the  market.  Within  six  years  there  has 
sprung  up  an  important  industry,  which  consists  in  ])acking  these  fish  in 
oil,  after  the  manner  of  sardines,  for  home  and  foreign  consumption.  In 
1874  the  production  of  canned  fish  did  not  fall  below  500,000  boxes. 

The  discovery  made  by  Mr.  .S.  L.  Cioodale,  that  from  these  fisii  may  be 
extracted,  for  the  cost  of  carefully  boiling  them,  .  substance  possessing  all 
the  properties  of  Liebig's  "  Extract  of  beef,"  o[)ens  uj)  a  \ast  field  for 
future  development.  As  a  food  for  the  domestic  animals  in  the  form  of 
"  fish  meat,"  there  seems  also  to  be  a  broad  opening.  As  a  source  of  oil, 
the  Menhaden  is  of  more  importance  than  any  other  marine  animal.  Its 
annual  yield  usually  exceeds  that  of  the  whale  (from  the  American  fisheries) 
by  about  200,000  gallons,  and  in  1S74  did  not  fall  far  short  of  the  aggre- 
gate of  all  the  whale,  seal,  and  cod  oil  made  in  America.  In  1878  the 
menhaden  oil  and  guano  industry  emjiloyed  capital  to  the  amount  of 
$2,350,000,  3,337  men,  64  steamers.  279  sailing  vessels,  and  consumed 
777,000,000  fish  ;  tliere  were  56  factories,  which  ])roduced  1,392.644 
gallons  of  oil,  \alucd  at  S450.000,  and  55,154  tons  of  crude  guano,  valued 
at  $600,000  ;  this  Avas  a  i)oor  year.  In  1874  the  number  of  gallons  i)ro- 
duced  was  3,373,000  ;  in  1S75,  2,681.000  :  in  1876,  2.992,00c  :  in  1877, 
2,427,000.  In  1878  the  total  value  of  manufactured  products  was  S  1.050. - 
000  ;  in  1874  this  was  $1,809,000  :  in  1875,  51,582,000  ;  in  1S76,  $I,67I,- 
ooo  ;  in  1877,  Si, 608. 000.      It  should  be  statetl  that  in  these  reports  only 


TJIE  JIERRIXG  A  AD  /TS  ALU  US. 


.593 


four-fifths  of  tilt-  whole  minibcr  of  factories  were  iiK  hukd.  In  iSSo  tiu' 
number  of  persons  emphjyed  in  the  entire  inchi^try  was  phued  at  j/).?5, 
the  amount  of  capital  invested.  <;2,362,.S4i,  the  value  of  pnidm  ts.  >-'.  i  i'^).- 
7.S7,  including  2,066,396  gallons  of  oil.  worth  ^733-4-4.  iiii<l  6N,904  tons 
of  guano,  worth  51,301,217.  The  refuse  of  the  oil  factories  sujiplies  a 
material  of  much  value  for  manures.  As  a  base  for  nitrogen  it  enters 
largely  into  the  composition  of  most  of  the  manufactured  fertilizers.  'The 
amount  of  nitrogen  derived  from  this  source  in  itS75  was  estimated  to  be 
e(|uivalent  to  that  contained  in  60.000,000  pounds  of  l'eru\  ian  guaiio.  the 
gold  value  of  which  would  not  have  been  far  from  Si. 920, 000.  The  yield 
of  the  meidiaden  fishery  in  pounds  is  ])r()bably  triple  that  of  an\-  other 
carried  on  by  the  lishermen  of  the  United  States. 

In  estimating  the  importance  of  the  Menhaden  to  the  L'nited  States,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  its  absenc  e  from  our  waters  would  probably 
reduce  all  our  other  sea-fisheries  to  at  least  one-fourth  their  present  extent. 
It  is  therefore  of  great  importance  to  anglers  as  well  as  fishermen. 

\\\  addition  to  the  common  Menhaden,  a  second  North  Ameiican 
species,  Brcvoortia patronus,  has  recently  been  discovered.  This  spec  ies 
has  been  reported  only  from  the  (lulf  of  Mexico. 

The  commercial  rejjresentatives  of  the  Herring  in  .America  are  perhaps 
the  River  Herrings  and  the  Shail,  which  ascend  our  streams  in  the  spring, 
and,  fresh,  pickled  and  smoked,  enter  very  largely  into  the  fot)il  resources 
of  the  Atlantic  region. 

Early  writers  on  American  fishes,  especially  Mitchill  and  De  Kay,  seem 
to  have  experienced  great  difficulty  in  differentiating  into  species  the  vari- 
ous forms  of  River  Herrings  or  Alewives  in  our  waters.  These  early 
writers  were,  however,  apparently  more  discriminating  than  some  of  their 
successors,  for  they  recognized  differences  which  ha\e  been  ignored  by 
subsequent  writers.  They  were  as  much  at  fault,  however,  in  making  too 
many  species,  as  were  Storer  and  (lill  in  uniting  all  the  forms  under  one 
specific  name. 

The  attention  of  the  zoologists  of  the  Fish  Commission  was  first  called 
to  the  probable  existence  of  two  species  by  the  iiersisteni  opinions  of  the 
fishermen  of  the  Potomac,  who  recognized  two  forms — differing  in  habit 
and  in  general  appearance — which  they  called  tlie  "Branch  Herring" 
^nd  the  "(Hut  Herring"  respectively. 

The  announcement  of  the  discovery  of  the  two  species  and  a  definition 


1  f. 


i  i 


!   1  ^; 


';  ' 


nf  their  rharartcrs  were  first  itublished  in  tiie  report  of  the  \'ir^'inia  Fish 
C'omiuis-iion  for  i>>79.  'I'licse  species  may  easily  he  distiiiKuishetl  from 
each  other  hy  the  foUowiiij,'  characters:  C.  (cstivti/is  is  more  elongate  in 
form,  has  a  lower  body,  less  elevated  fins,  and  smaller  eyes  than  C.  icnia/is, 
'I'he  proportions  of  the  hones  of  the  head  in  C.  ics/iiui/is  differ  from  those 
ill  C.  it'nia/is,  as  also  does  the  coloration  of  the  lining  of  the  abdomen, 
\vhi(  h  in  C.  t<-s//rir//s  is  black  and  in  C.  vcnut/is,  gray. 

The  popular  names  apjilied  to  these  fishes  differ  in  almost  every  river 
along  the  <(iast.  C.  vfrnalis  is  known  along  the  Potomac  River  as  the 
"  Hran(  h  Herring";  on  the  Albemarle  River  as  the  "  Hig-eyed  Herring" 
and  the  •' Wall-eyed  Herring";  in  Canada  it  is  known  as  the  "(laspe- 
reau  "  or  "  Oasjierot."  It  is  pre-eminently  the  '•  Alewife"  of  New  I'lng- 
land  ;  the  ••  ICllwife  "  or  "  Mllwhop  "  of  the  Connecticut  River.  'I'he 
other  species,  C.  ustiva/is,  undoubtedly  occurs  occasionally  in  its  com- 
pany, but  is  probably  not  common  in  the  Connecti(  ut  and  Housatonic 
Rivers,  and  in  many  parts  of  Massachusetts  \a  distinguished  by  another 
name. 

The  C.  (csfi(\i/is  is  the  "(Hut  Herring"  of  the  Albemarle  and  the 
Chesapeake,  and  the  "  English  Herring"  of  the  Ogeechee  River.  In  the 
St.  J(jhn's  River,  Florida,  it  is  known  simjjly  as  the  "  Herring."  On  the 
coast  of  Massachusetts  it  is  called  the  "  IMue-back,"  a  name  which  is 
common  to  the  late  runs  of  the  same  species  of  the  Rappahannock.  Around 
the  (lulf  of  Maine  this  species  is  also  known  by  the  names  "  Kyack  "  or 
"  Kyauk,"  "  Saw-belly,"  and  "  Cat-thrasher."  Although  the  coast  fisher- 
men of  Massachusetts  and  Maine  claim  to  distinguish  the  two  species,  the 
"  lllue-backs  "  and  the  '*  Alewives,"  their  judgment  is  by  no  means  in- 
fallible, for  I  have  frecpiently  had  them  sort  out  into  two  piles  the  fishes 
which  they  distinguish  under  these  names,  and  found  that  their  discrimi- 
nation was  not  at  all  reliable.  The  features  to  which  they  mainly  trusted 
in  the  determination  of  C.  (cstii'a/is  are  the  bluer  color  of  the  back  and  the 
greater  serration  upon  the  ventral-ridge.  The  other  species,  when  the 
scales  on  its  back  are  rubbed  off,  is  as  blue  as  this,  and  the  serration  of  the 
belly  is  dependent  entirely  upon  the  extent  to  which  the  back  has  become 
stiffened  in  the  death  struggle  and  the  consecjuent  degree  of  arching  of  the 
ventral  ridge.  The  young  of  one  or  both  species  are  sold  in  the  Boston 
markets  under  the  name  ''  Sprats,"  and  in  New  York  they  makeup  a  large 
proportion  of  the  so-called  "Whitebait." 


\  \ 


\  I » 


////;  /rrA'A'/xc;  .i.v/)  /rs  .11  i.ir.s. 


y)^ 


"  TIk'  AkwilV."  writes  Col.  .NLu  1  ion.iltl.  "is  1)\  t'.ir  tiu-  must  abiiinl.int 
ut"  uiir  river  IinIks,  and  tiirdii^'hoiit  the  whole  Southern  ri'^ion  where  tlu  v 
arc  caiijiht.  to^'ether  with  tl'.e  Sliad.  tiie  luimlier  of  imlniihials  is  not  tar 
from  ten  to  twenty  times  as  ^reat  .is  that  of  ilic  Siiatl.  I'or  in>tan(  e,  in 
ilie  Albemarle  rej,'ion.  in  iSji;.  750.000  Sh.ul  were  taki'n  ami  M|iw.ir(ls  of 
20,000.000  AIewi\es.  A^ain.  in  iSSo,  alioiit  600.000  Shail  wire  t.iki  n 
from  the  Totomac  and  i  1,000.000  .\lewi\es.  \\\  far  the*  j,'reatest  mimlier 
of  the  Alewives  thus  taken  were  ••(Hut  Herrin;;,"  ('.  nsfird/is  \  Imt,  sin<e 
the  two  species  are  sold  together,  without  disc  riminatiun,  no  accurate 
statement  of  prupurtiunal  numbers  (an  be  maile. 


TIIK  llliANCIl  lllMlIMNd  "li  AI.KWH'K. 

There  is  on  Cape  Cod  an  extensive  Alewife  fishery.  'I'liis  has  for  more 
than  a  century  been  regulated  b'  law,  and  the  fisli  are  allowed  during 
stated  periods  to  swim  without  interruption  to  their  spawning  beds.  The 
streams  in  which  they  are  taken  are  so  small,  and  the  fish  in  their  as<  ent 
so  crowded  together,  thai  they  apj/ear  to  be  extremely  abundant,  although 
the  aggregate  catch  for  the  entire  Cape  is  not  perhaps  much  greater  tlian 
the  yield  of  many  single  seines  in  the  South.  Here,  however,  there  has 
been  no  great  decrease  in  abundance,  w  hile  in  the  South  the  herring  fisiiery 
is  much  less  productive  than  in  former  years. 

'  \ery  remarkable  phenomenon,  recently  observed,  has  been  the  a])pear- 
ance  of  this  species  in  immense  numbers  in  Take  Ontario  and  lakes  of  New 
York.  This  has  been  only  in  waters  in  which  shad  fry  had  previously 
been  placed  by  fish  culturists. 

Like  the  Shad,  the  Alewives  are  anadromous  in  habit.  The  dates  of 
their  first  appearance  in  any  given  river  may  be  very  closely  determined 


396 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


by  an  examination  of  the  tables  which  show  the  movements  of  the  Shad. 
The  Gaspereau  or  "Spring  Herring"  usually  precedes  the  Shad  by  a 
period  of  several  Aveeks,  while  the  run  of  the  "Blue-back"  or  "Glut 
Herring"  occurs  in  the  middle  of  the  Shad  season. 

One  of  the  earliest  American  observers  thus  spoke  of  their  habits  : 

At  the  end  of  Marcli  begins  the  spring  by  Sol's  new  elevation, 
.Stealing  away  the  Eartli's white  robe,  dropping  with  sweat's  vexation. 
The  Codfish,  Holybut  and  Ikirse  do  sport  the  rivers  in, 
And  Albvives,  with  their  crowdy  sholcs  in  evei-y  creek  do  swim. 

Gooil  AciL'i's  from  Aciu  Enjt^iaiKf,  1678. 

Little  is  known  concerning  the  food  of  the  river  Alewives  in  their  salt- 
water habitat.  It  is,  however,  supposed  that  they,  like  the  Shad,  exist 
largely  upon  swimming  crustaceans.  When  in  the  rivers  they  do  not  feed 
to  any  considerable  extent,  although  they  have  been  known  in  a  few  in- 
stances to  take  the  fly. 

The  eggs  of  the  Alewife  are  adhesive,  like  those  of  the  sea  Herring, 
though  to  a  much  less  degree.  The  number  of  eggs  varies  from  sixty 
thousand  to  one  hundred  thousand,  in  accordance  with  the  size  of  the 
individual.  They  are  deposited  upon  the  bottom  in  shoal  water,  or  on 
whatever  object  they  may  come  in  contact  with.  The  time  for  spawning, 
after  the  fish  have  entered  the  river,  depends,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Shad, 
entirely  on  the  temperature  of  the  water.  The  spawning  of  the  "  Glut 
Herring"  takes  i)lace  under  ordinary  conditions  at  a  temperature  of  70° 
to  70°  F.;  that  of  the  "  Branch  Herring,"  when  the  water  is  as  low  as 
55°  to  60°  F.  The  period  of  development  varies  directly  with  the 
temperature. 

''  During  past  years,"  writes  McDonald,  "  the  Alewife  has  frequently 
been  artificially  introduced  into  new  waters  or  over  dams  by  the  trans- 
portation of  fish  of  considerable  size.  This  is  constantly  done  on  Cape 
Cod  in  the  restocking  of  the  herring  streams  which  have  been  exhausted, 
and  was  successfully  accomplished  by  Gen.  N.  L.  Lincoln,  in  Maine,  as 
long  ago  as  1750." 

"Herring  eggs  have  frequently  been  artificially  impregnated  by  men 
engaged  in  shad  culture.  The  young  fish  artificially  hatched  have  in  some 
instances  been  transported.  Li  1882,  two  million  were  sent  to  Texas  by 
the  Ignited  States  Fish  Commission  and  deposited  in  the  Colorado  River. 
Artificial  hatching  would  seem  less  necessary  in  the  case  of  the  Alewife 


THE  HERRING  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


397 


than  in  that  of  the  Shad,  since  with  the  former,  owing  to  its  jieculiar 
si)a\vning  liabits,  the  eggs  stand  a  better  chance  of  hatching  out.  and  very 
slight  protection  of  the  fish  during  spawning  season  will  be  sufficient  to 
keep  up  the  supply." 

Prof.  Baird,  in  his  second  report  as  Commissioner  of  Fisheries,  spoke 
as  follows  upon  the  uses  and  importance  of  this  fish: 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think,  for  various  reasons,  that  too  little  has  been 
done  in  our  waters  toward  the  restoration  to  their  primitive  abundance  of 
the  Alewife. 

"  The  Alewife  in  many  respects  is  superior,  in  commercial  and  econo- 
mical value,  to  the  Herring,  being  a  much  larger  and  sweeter  fish,  and 
more  like  the  true  Shad  in  this  respect.  Of  all  American  fisii  none  are  so 
easily  propagated  as  the  Alewife,  and  waters  from  which  it  has  been  dri\en 
by  the  erection  of  impassable  dams  can  be  fully  restocked  in  tlie  course  of 
a  few  years,  sini])ly  by  transjjorting  a  sufficient  number  of  the  mature  fish 
taken  at  the  mouth  of  the  stream  to  a  point  above  the  dams,  or  ])lacing 
them  in  ponds  or  lakes.  Here  they  will  spawn  and  return  to  the  sea  after 
a  short  interval,  making  their  way  over  dams  which  carry  any  flow.  The 
young  Alewives,  after  a  season,  descend  and  return,  if  not  prevented,  at 
the  end  of  their  period  of  immaturity,  to  the  place  where  they  were  spawned. 

"In  addition  to  the  value  of  the  Alewife  as  an  article  of  food,  it  is  of 
much  service  in  ponds  and  rivers  as  nutriment  for  trout,  salmon  and  other 
valuable  fishes.  The  young  derive  their  sustenance  from  minute  crusta- 
ceans and  other  objects  too  diminutive  for  the  larger  fish,  and  in  their  great 
abundance  are  greedily  devoured  by  the  other  species  around  tiiem.  In 
waters  inhabited  by  both  pickerel  and  trout  these  fish  find  in  the  young 
Alewives  sufficient  food  to  prevent  their  preying  upon  ea(  h  other.  They 
are  also,  for  the  same  reason,  serviceable  in  ponds  containing  black  bass. 

"As  a  cheap  and  very  abundant  food  for  other  fishes,  the  young  Alewives 
can  be  i)laced  in  waters  that  have  no  connection  with  the  sea  by  merely 
transferring  from  any  convenient  locality  a  sufficient  number  of  the  living 
mature  parents,  taken  at  the  ajjproach  of  the  spawning  season  :  they  will 
remain  for  several  months,  and  indeed  can  often  be  easdy  penned  up  by 
a  suitable  dam  and  kept  throughout  the  year. 

"  It  is  in  another  still  more  important  connection  that  we  should  con- 
sider the  Alewife.  It  is  well  known  that  within  the  last  thirty  or  forty 
years  the  fisheries  of  cod,  haddock  and  hake  along  our  coast  have  measur- 
ably diminished,  and  in  some  places  ceased  entirely.  Enough  may  be 
taken  for  local  consumption,  but  localities  which  formerly  furnished  the 
material  for  an  extensive  commerce  in  dried  fish  have  been  entirely 
abandoned.  Various  causes  have  been  assigned  for  this  condition  of 
things,  and  among  others  the  alleged  diminution  of  the  sea  Herring. 
After  a  careful  consideration  of  the  subject,  however,  I  am  strongly  in- 


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398 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


clined  to  believe  that  it  is  due  to  the  diminution,  and  in  many  instances 
to  the  extermination,  of  the  Alewives.  As  already  remarked,  before  the 
construction  of  dams  in  the  tidal  rivers  the  Alewife  was  found  in  incredi- 
ble numl)ers  along  our  coast,  i)robably  remaining  not  far  from  shore, 
excepting  when  moving  up  into  the  fresh  water,  and  at  any  rate  spending 
a  consideral)le  interval  off  the  mouths  of  tlie  rivers  either  at  the  time  of 
their  journey  upward  or  on  their  return.  The  young,  too,  after  returning 
from  the  ocean,  usually  swarmed  in  the  same  localities,  and  thus  furnished 
for  the  larger  sjjccies  a  bait  such  as  is  not  supi)lietl  at  present  by  any  other 
fish,  the  sea  Herring  not  excepted.  We  know  that  the  Alewife  is  particu- 
larly attractive  as  a  bait  to  other  fishes,  especially  for  cod  and  mackerel. 
Alewives  enter  the  streams  on  the  south  coast  of  New  England  before  the 
arrival  of  the  bluelish  ;  but  the  latter  devote  themselves  with  great  assiduity 
to  the  capture  of  the  young  as  they  come  out  from  their  breeding  ponds. 
The  outlet  of  an  alewife  pond  is  always  a  capital  place  for  the  bluefish, 
and,  as  they  come  very  near  the  shore  in  such  localities,  they  can  be 
caught  there  with  the  line  by  what  is  called  '  heaving  and  hauling,'  or 
throwing  a  scjuid  from  the  shore  and  hauling  it  in  with  the  utmost  rapidity. 

"The  coincidence,  at  least,  in  the  erection  of  the  dams,  and  the  enor- 
mous diminution  in  the  number  of  the  Alewives,  and  the  decadence  of  the 
inshore  Cod  fishery,  is  certainly  very  remarkable.  It  is  probable,  also,  that 
the  mackerel  fisheries  have  suffered  in  the  same  way,  as  these  fish  find  in 
the  young  Menhaden  and  Alewives  an  attractive  bait. 

*'  The  same  remarks  as  to  the  agency  of  the  Alewife  in  attracting  the 
deep-sea  fishes  to  the  shores,  and  esi)ecially  near  the  mouths  of  rivers, 
apply  in  a  i)roportional  degree  to  the  Shad  and  salmon." 

The  Inland  Alewife  or  Skipjack,  Clupca  chrysocJiIoris,  which  is  found  in 
many  parts  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  has  recently  Leen  found  by  Mr.  Silas 
Stearns  in  the  salt  water  off  Pensacola — a  surprising  circumstance,  since 
the  species  was  thought  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  fresh  water  exclusively.  "  It 
is  known  to  most  inland  fishermen  as  the  '  Skipjack,'  "  writes  Prof.  Jordan, 
"  in  allusion  to  its  habit  of  leaping  from  the  water.  It  is  also  sometimes 
called  '  Sh'^d  '  and  '  Herring.'  It  is  abundant  throughout  the  Mississippi 
Valley  in  all  the  larger  streams.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  ocean  it 
descends  to  the  Gulf,  but  in  the  upper  courses  it  is  permanently  resident. 
It  has  also  entered  Lake  Michigan  and  Lake  Erie  since  the  construction 
of  the  canals.  It  reaches  a  length  of  a  little  more  than  a  foot.  It  feeds 
on  small  crustaceans,  worms,  and  the  like,  rarely  taking  the  hook.  As  a 
food-fish  it  is  regarded  as  wholly  worthless,  its  flesh  being  poor  and  dry 
and  full  of  innumerable  small  bones." 

The  Shad  appears  to  have  been  considered  by  early  American  writers 


THE  in  RRING  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


399 


on  fish  identical  with  the  Shad  of  England,  Cliipea  fiiita.  The  first  to  give 
to  it  a  distinctive  name  was  Alexander  AN'ilson  in  the  American  edition  of 
Rees'  Encyclopaedia. 


Tin;   KlliOl'KAN  fillAl). 


It  is  very  closely  allied  to  the  EurojKMn  species,  but  is  a  much  finer  fisli. 
The  English  care  little  for  their  shad,  though  in  France  the  same  species 
is  highly  esteemed. 

The  following  account  of  our  Shad  is  from  the  pen  of  Col.  Marshall 
MacDonald,  who  has  made  it  a  subject  of  s])ecial  study  for  many  years: 

The  Shad  is  found  along  the  whole  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States, 
and  its  capture  constitutes  one  of  the  most  important  fisheries  in  all  the 
streams  draining  into  the  Atlantic  between  the  Gulf  of  St.  Eawrence  and 
the  St.  John's  River,  Florida. 

It  is  but  rarely  seen  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  but  occurs  in 
the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  the  various  rivers  of  whicli  it  ascends  as  far 
north  as  the  Miramichi,  which  seems  to  be  its  limit  in  that  direction,  none 
having  been  seen  in  the  Bay  of  Chaleur. 

Throughout  its  entire  range  the  Shad  is  found  in  sufficient  (piantities  to 
give  rise  to  fisheries  of  great  commercial  value.  There  is  no  run  of  Shad 
in  any  of  the  rivers  draining  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  although  the  capture 
of  isolated  individuals  of  this  species  has  been  reported  from  the  Ala- 
l)ama  River  and  from  several  tributaries  of  the  Mississipi)i  ]M-ior  to  any 
steps  towards  the  artificial  propagation  of  Shad  in  these  waters  by  the 
United  States  Fish  Commission. 

The  geographical  range  of  the  Shad  then  was  confined  to  the  Atlantic 
coast  of  the  United  States  until,  by  the  operations  of  the  United  States 
Fish  Commission,  its  limits  were  vastly  extended.  Runs  of  Shad,  suf- 
ficiently large  to  be  of  commercial  value,  have  been  established  in  several 
of  the  tributaries  of  the  Mississippi  River,  notal)ly  the  Ohio  River ;  and 
the  several  plants  made  from  time  to  time  in  the  Sacramento  River,  on  the 


11 


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!!!' 


400 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Pacific  coast,  have  resulted  in  the  colonization  of  this  species  in  all  the 
rivers  of  the  Pacific  sloi)e,  from  the  Sacramento  to  Paget  Sound. 

The  Shad  make  their  first  appearance  in  the  St.  John's  River  about  the 
miildle  of  November,  the  height  of  their  spawning  season  in  that  river 
being  about  the  ist  of  April.  In  the  Savannah  River  they  appear  early  in 
January,  and  in  the  Neuse  River  at  a  period  not  much  later  than  in  the 
Savannah.  In  the  Albemarle  the  important  Shad  seine-fisheries  begin 
early  in  March,  but  doubtless  the  fish  are  in  the  Sound  some  time  before 
that  date  ;  not,  however,  in  numbers  sufficient  to  justify  the  great  expenses 
attendant  upon  the  operation  of  these  large  seines.  In  the  Chesai)eake 
Bay  they  make  their  appearance  in  February,  although  the  height  of  the 
fishing  season  in  its  waters  is  during  April  and  May,  and  at  a  date  some- 
what later  in  the  more  northern  tributaries.  In  the  Delaware,  Connecticut, 
Merrimac,  and  St.  John  (Nova  Scotia)  Rivers,  Shad  are  first  seen  at  periods 
successively  later  as  we  proceed  farther  north.  The  date  of  their  first  ap- 
pearance in  any  of  these  waters,  however,  varies  from  season  to  season, 
the  limit  of  such  variation  being  from  three  to  four  weeks. 

These  irregularities  in  the  time  of  the  rrn  into  our  rivers,  which  cause 
so  much  perplexity  and  discouragement  to  the  fishermen,  are,  however, 
readily  explained  by  the  influence  of  temperature. 


THE  AMERICAN  SHAD. 


It  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  any  general  coastwise  movement  of  the 
Shad.  That  there  is  an  occasional  migration  of  this  kind  is  evidenced  by 
the  following  facts  :  The  Shad  of  the  rivers  of  the  South  Atlantic  coast, 
as  a  rule,  have  black-tipped  caudal  and  dorsal  fins,  which  distinctive 
marks  of  coloration  are  absent  in  the  Shad  of  more  northern  rivers  ;  and 
yet  occasionally  these  southern   Shad  are  caught  as  far  north  as  the  tribu- 


THE  HERRING  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


40  r 


taries  of  the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Bays.  These  fish  have  unthnibtedly 
been  born  and  bred  in  southern  waters,  and  their  api)earance  so  far  north 
would  indicate  that  occasionally  this  southern  variety  strays  beyond  its 
normal  range.  At  one  time  it  was  imagined  that  the  whole  t)ody  of 
American  Shad,  having  wintered  in  the  south,  started  northward  with  the 
new  year,  and  as  each  river  mouth  was  readied  a  detachment  would  leave 
the  entire  mass  for  the  purpose  of  ascending  the  river,  the  last  remaining 
portion  of  the  immense  school  entering  the  dulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

At  a  later  date  it  was  thought  more  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  young 
fish,  hatched  out  in  any  particular  stream,  went  out  into  the  sea  and  re- 
mained within  a  moderate  distance  of  the  coast  until  the  period  again 
occurred  for  their  upward  river  migration.  Their  appearance,  first  in  the 
extreme  soutliern  river  of  the  coast,  the  St.  John's,  and  at  later  dates  suc- 
cessively in  the  more  northern  rivers,  was  thought  to  (onfirm  this  view.  It 
will  be  seen,  in  the  discussions  of  the  relation  of  the  movements  of  the 
Shad  to  the  water  temperature,  i)ul)lished  in  the  reports  of  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission,  that  this  order  of  appearance  when  jn-eserved 
may  be  reasonably  accounted  for ;  there  are,  however,  exceptions. 
For  instance,  the  Kdisto  River  is  many  miles  north  of  the  Savannah,  and 
yet  the  run  of  Shad  in  the  former  is  usually  coincident  witli  that  in  the 
latter.  This  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  Shad  are  generally  distributed 
along  the  coast  at  all  times,  entering  the  rivers  as  soon  as  the  temperature 
of  the  water  is  suitable.  It  is  but  natural  that  the  waters  of  a  creek  or 
short  stream,  not  having  its  source  in  the  mountains,  should  in  the  spring 
become  warm  long  before  those  of  a  large  river  whose  headwaters  are  far 
up  among  the  mountains;  for  which  reason  we  may  expect  to  find,  in  the 
car>e  of  two  rivers,  the  most  southerly  of  which  has  a  longer  water-course 
than  the  other,  that  the  Shad  will  first  enter  the  more  northerly,  yet 
shorter,  and  consequently,  at  a  given  date,  warmer  stream.  The  question, 
therefore,  appears  to  be  rather  one  of  temperature  than  of  geographical 
location. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  life  of  the  Shad  being  spent  in  salt  water,  the 
possibility  of  close  observation  as  to  their  food,  habits,  or  precise  habitat 
is  precluded.  The  young  fry,  hatched  out  in  the  rivers  in  spring  and  early 
summer,  remain  there  until  the  following  fall,  when,  the  temperature  of 
the  waters  having  fallen  below  60°,  they  leave  for  the  ocean.  Nothing 
more  is  seen  of  them  until  thev  return  to  the  rivers  as  mature  fish  for  the 


i' 


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m 


36 


402 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


purpose  of  spawning.  In  these  ujnvard  migrations  the  schools  of  mature 
fish  ascend  the  rivers  either  until  obstructed  by  imjiassable  falls  or  dams, 
or  until  the  volume  of  water  becomes  very  inconsiderable.  Before  artificial 
impediments  were  placed  in  the  ri\ers.  the  limit  of  this  movement  was  the 
natural  and  insurmountable  falls  to  be  found  at  the  head  of  almost  all  of 
<nir  princi]ial  streams.  Vox  exam))le,  in  the  Savannah  River  the  vShad  used 
to  ascend  to  the  Falls  of  Tallula,  at  the  very  source  of  the  river  in  the 
northern  part  of  (ieorgia.  In  the  Potomac  they  ascend  as  high  as  the 
Great  Falls.  In  the  Sus(]uehanna  River,  in  which  there  exist  no  natural 
obstructions,  their  migration  extended  up  into  the  State  of  New  York,  a 
distance  of  several  hundred  miles  above  the  present  limit.  On  the  Hudson 
River  they  ascentled  to  Glens  Falls.  On  the  Ci)nnecticut  at  one  time  they 
went  as  high  as  Bellows  Falls,  but  recent  obstructions  in  this  river  have 
materially  reduced  the  extent  of  their  range. 

The  age  at  which  the  Shad  reaches  maturity  and  becomes  cajjable  of 
reproducing  is  not  definitely  determined  ;  it  is  generally  held  by  fish 
culturists,  however,  that  the  female  Shad  attains  this  condition  when  three 
or  four  years  old.  The  favorite  spawning  grounds,  or  "Shad  Wallows," 
as  they  are  termed  by  the  fishermen,  are  on  the  sandy  flats  which  border 
the  streams,  and  the  sand-bars  which  are  found  at  intervals  higher  up  the 
river.  When  the  fish  have  reached  suitable  spawning  grounds  and  are 
ready  to  cast  their  eggs,  they  move  up  to  the  flats  seemingly  in  pairs.  The 
time  of  this  movement  is  usually  between  sundown  and  ii  p.  m.  When 
in  the  act  of  coition  they  sv,  im  close  together  and  near  the  surface, 
their  back  fins  projecting  above  the  water.  The  rapid,  vigorous,  spas- 
modic movements  which  accompany  this  oi)eration  produce  a  splashing  in 
the  water  which  can  be  plainly  heard  from  the  shore,  and  which  the  fisher- 
men characterize  as  "  washing." 

The  number  of  eggs  in  the  ovary  of  a  Shad,  as  in  all  other  fish,  bears  a 
certain  relation  to  the  size  and  weight  of  the  fish.  As  the  result  of  ex- 
perience in  the  artificial  proi)agation  of  the  Shad  we  conclude  that  a  ripe 
roe  Shad  weighing  four  or  five  pounds  contains  from  20,000  to  40,000 
eggs,  the  average  number  being  about  25,000.  A  much  larger  number, 
however,  has  been  obtained  from  some  individuals.  In  the  season  of 
1 88 1  we  obtained  from  a  single  Shad,  weighing  about  six  pounds,  over 
60,000  impregnated  eggs;  again,  in  1880,  on  the  Potomac  River,  the 
yield  of  eggs  from  a  single  Shad  was  over  100,000.     These  were  full-sized, 


THE  HERRING  AND  ITS  ALLIES. 


4>  -» 


thoroughly  impregnated,  and  were  hatched  out  with  a  loss  of  hardly  one 
per  cent. 

Shad  ready  to  deposit  their  spawn  seem  to  prefer  waters  of  a  warmer 
temperature  than  60°  F.  Therefore,  when  the  mature  Shad,  intent  on 
reproduction,  leave  the  hydrothermal  area  of  60°  F.  and  ascend  the  rivers 
into  waters  of  65°  to  70°  F.  and  upwards,  they  are  unaccom])anieil  by  the 
half-grown  Shad,  the  latter  ceasing  to  ascend  as  soon  as  they  encounter 
a  temperature  of  more  than  60°  F.  In  1882,  however,  wlien  tlie  tem- 
perature of  the  water  was  below  60°  F.  for  the  greater  i)ortion  of  the 
season,  the  s])awning  had  to  take  place  in  water  colder  than  the  fish  would 
have  preferred,  and  therefore  mature  and  young  Shad  were  found  together 
on  the  spawning  grounds. 

The  shad-fry,  which  spend  the  first  six  months  in  our  rivers,  must  of  ne- 
cessity find  their  food  therein.  From  examinations  made  of  the  stomaclis  of 
these  young  fish,  they  have  been  found  to  feed  \\\)o\\  certain  species  of  Crus- 
tacea and  insect  larva;,  common  to  the  fresh  waters  of  our  rivers.  During  the 
spring  of  1S82  some  young  fry,  which  were  hatched  out  at  Central  station, 
were  confined  by  Dr.  John  A.  Ryder  in  a  glass  acpiarium,  tiirough  which 
the  circulation  of  the  water  was  maintained,  and  fed  with  C'opepoda, 
obtained  in  large  cpiantitics  from  the  United  States  carp  ponds.  In  about 
seven  days  after  hatching  some  of  the  young  fry  were  observed  to  eat, 
and  a  few  days  later  they  were  all  vigorously  engaged  in  jnirsuit  of  food. 
While  the  ratio  of  mortality  was  large,  some  of  the  fish  survived  for  six 
weeks,  the  last  specimen  having  attained  a  length  of  considerably  more 
than  an  inch,  and  a  weight  many  times  greater  than  that  at  birth. 

From  these  experiments  we  deem  it  altogether  i)robable  that  under 
natural  conditions  the  Copepoda,  vhich  are  abundant  in  the  Potomac  in 
places  frequented  by  the  young  Sha  1,  are  their  natural  food  during  the 
early  stages  of  their  existence. 

It  is  probable  that  Shad  in  their  early  lives  vary  their  food  witli  min- 
nows and  the  young  of  other  sjjccies  of  fish.  Indeed,  from  the  stomach 
of  a  Shad,  taken  in  one  of  tlie  pounds  at  Saybrook,  I  found  an  undigested 
minnow  two  or  three  inches  in  length.  In  the  fresh-water  life  of  the 
mature  Shad,  the  fish  do  not  seem  to  take  food  at  all.  Re[)eated  observa- 
tions of  the  contents  of  the  stomach  show  no  food  whatever.  Occasionally, 
however,  they  can  be  induced  to  rise  to  a  fly  dexterously  cast  on  the  water. 
This  fact  is  presumptive  evidence  that  the  desire  for  food,  although  sub- 


t 


IN 


H 


i  ,! 


'ii 


I 


!l 


404 


AMEKJCAX  J'/SJIES. 


onlinati-cl   to   the    impulse  of  rcprixliation  (whicli    l)riiigs   thoni   intt)   the 
ri\ir),  is  not  wholly  lost. 

A  iVmalc  Shad  of  a  ccrtaiii  Ay^L'  is  always  lar.uor  than  a  male  of  corrc- 
spomliiiL;  ago.  A  i^cncral  a\t'rai,^c  for  both  sexes  along  the  whole  coast 
would  be  about  four  pounds,  the  extremes — for  males — being  from  one 
and  a  half  to  six  pounds,  and  for  females  from  tliree  and  a  half  to  eiglu 
poimds,  tlie  latter  re|)resenting  a  maximum  weight  for  Sliad  at  the  present 
time  ;  although,  in  the  early  history  of  the  fisheries,  there  are  records  of 
the  cai)ture  of  fish  weighing  ele\en,  twelve  and  as  much  as  fom-teen 
luiunds. 


Tin-:  iiiOKdUY  sii.vn. 

The  Hickory  Shad,  or  >rattowacca,  Cli/pca  iiicJioiris,  was  first  brought 
to  notice  in  1815  in  Mitchill's  paper  on  the  fishes  of  New  York,  wherein 
it  was  described  under  two  names,  being  called  the  "  Staten  Islanil  " 
Herring,  C.  nicdioin's,  and  the  "  I-ong  Islam!"  Herring,  C.  iiuitfozcacca. 
'The  latter  name  was  adopted  by  Stt)rer  for  the  species,  but  more  recent 
authorities,  guidetl  by  a  ratlier  cpiestionable  interpretation  of  the  rules  of 
priority,  have  substituted  the  name  C.  nhu/ioiris,  because  it  was  jirinted  on 
the  page  precetling  the  other.  Mitchill  statetl  that  the  '•  Long  Island  " 
Herring  occuined  a  miildle  station  between  the  Shad  and  the  "  Staten 
Island"  Herring,  but  it  seems  strange  that  so  accomplished  an  ichthyolo- 
gist should  not  have  at  once  perceived  the  identity  of  the  two.  The  name 
''  ///i-i//(>i-r/s"  was  founiled  upon  small  specimens.  The  names  given  this 
species  are  as  varied  as  those  of  the  river  Herrings.  The  name  "  Matto- 
wacca  "  is  of  Indian  origin,  and  is  said  to  have  been  derived  from  the 
Intlian  name  for  Long  Island,  jfathmiiika  or  Jfa/foKuix. 

The  name  "  Hickory  Shad  "  is  applied  to  this  species  on  all  parts  of  the 


THE  HERRIXG  A  AD  ITS  ALLIES. 


405 


)roiight 

iv  he  re  in 

.land" 

\iii.\1CCit . 

recent. 

ules  of 

lited  on 

;land" 

Staten 

hyolo- 

name 

len  this 

blatto- 

l)m  tlie 

of  the 


coast  from  Cape  Cod  to  I'lorida.  It  is  used  in  tlie  Chesa|)eake  and  in  the 
Albemarle  regions,  and  on  the  Ogeechee,  Savannah,  and  Altamaha  Rivers, 
where  it  is  familiarly  called  "  Hicks."  In  the  St.  John's  River  and 
Alabama  River  the  name  **  Hickory"  Sliad  is  also  used.  The  derivation 
of  the  name  "  Hickory  "  Shad  cannot  easily  be  traced.  It  may  be  tliat 
the  word  "  Hickory"  is  used  in  a  tlerogatory  sense,  but  a  more  reasonable 
explanation  is  that  it  refers  to  the  striped  markings  on  the  fish,  wlii(  h  re- 
semble those  upon  the  coarse  cotton  fabric  known  in  the  South  as  "  Hie  k- 
ory,"  and  freijuently  used  by  tiie  fishermen. 

In  the  Potomac  the  species  is  called  the  "  Tailor  Shad,"  or  the  "  Fresh- 
water Tailor,"  in  contradistinction  to  the  bluefish,  wiiich  is  called  the 
"Salt-water  Tailor."  The  comparison  between  the  bluefish  and  this 
species  is  doubtless  due  to  a  fancied  resemblance  between  their  jaws,  those 
of  the  "  Tailor  Shad  "  being  very  long  and  strong.  The  "  Tailor  Shad  " 
may  be  distinguished  from  the  common  Shad  and  from  the  river  Herrings 
by  the  extreme  ])rojection  and  thickness  of  the  lower  jaw.  Tiiis  species  is 
in  some  rivers  called  a  "  I"'orerunner,"  from  the  fact  that  it  makes  its  ap- 
l)earance  shortly  before  the  Shad. 

Col.  McDonald  writes  as  follows  concerning  this  species:  '' The 
'  Hickory  Shad  '  is  most  abundant  in  the  region  between  the  Chesajieake 
Bay  and  Altamaha  River  and  intermediate  waters,  ascending  the  rivers  as 
high  as  the  Shad.  In  the  St.  John's  River  it  is  somewhat  abundant' 
making  its  api^earance  the  first  or  second  week  in  November,  and  shortly 
before  the  Shad.  North  of  New  York  it  has  not  been  observed  to  enter 
the  rivers  in  any  great  numbers,  and  there  is  no  record  north  of  Cape  Cod 
of  its  having  been  seen  in  fresh  water.  In  the  fall  small  schools  of  them 
occasionally  enter  the  brackish  estuaries  and  tideways  of  Cape  Cod." 

In  the  Altamaha  River,  Georgia,  the  catch  of  "  Hickory  "  Sliad  is 
equal  to  that  of  "  Common  "  or  "  White  Shad,"  and  in  the  markets  they 
sell  for  more  than  one-half  as  much.  In  the  St.  John's  River  they  are  not 
exceedingly  abundant,  ami  two  "  Hickory  Shad  "  are  ecpial  in  \-alue  to  one 
"White  Shad."  In  the  Ogeechee  and  Savannah  Rivers  the  proportion  of 
the  catch  of  the  "  Hickory"  to  that  of  "White  Shad  "  is  about  one  to 
four.  All  taken  here  are  used  for  local  consumption,  and  are  sold  at  priced 
equal  to  about  one-half  of  the  White  Shad.  In  the  Albemarle  they  arc  less 
abundant  than  farther  south  and  are  of  less  value.  Here  they  are  sold 
with  the  herring  for  local  consumption,   two  of  them  counting  for  one 


I 


.; 


4o6 


AM  ERICA  y  FISHES. 


herring,  or  arc  used  for  manure.  In  the  Chesapeake  region  they  are  not 
highly  esteemed,  although  great  (luantities  are  sold  by  hawkers,  especially 
in  tlie  cities,  where  people  are  not  well  informed,  under  the  name  of 
"  Shad."  At  the  l)eginning  of  the  season  hundreds  of  men  may  be  seen 
going  about  the  city  of  Washington  with  strings  of  these  fish,  which  they 
cry  for  Shad,  and  which  with  great  insolence  they  press  upon  such  would- 
be  purchasers  as  are  inclined  to  ([uestion  their  genuineness.  In  the  pound- 
nets  of  the  Chesajieake  in  the  beginning  of  the  season  they  are  caught  in 
immense  numbers,  and  are  shipi)ed  to  the  markets  with  the  true  Shad  until 
their  price  falls  below  three  cents  apiece,  after  which  they  are  sold  with 
the  Herring,  one  counting  as  two  Herrings. 


In  our  waters  the  most  important  member  of  this  family  is  the  Tarpum, 
Mt'ga/()/>s  thrissoiiics,  an  immense  herring-like  fish,  which  occurs  in  the 
Western  Atlantic  and  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  ranging  north  to  Cape  Cod 
and  south  at  least  to  Northern  Brazil.  It  is  somewhat  abundant  in  the 
West  Indies,  and  stragglers  have  been  taken  as  far  to  the  eastward  as  the 
Be.mudas.  This  species  attains  the  length  of  five  or  six  feet,  and  is 
covered  with  enormous  circular  scales  of  one  inch  to  two  inches  and  a 
half  in  diameter,  the  exposed  portions  of  which  are  covered  with  a  silvery 
epidermis.  The  fish,  when  alive,  presents  a  very  brilliant  metallic  ap- 
pearance, and  the  scales  are  much  prized  by  curiosity  hunters  and  for 
fancy  work  in  the  Florida  curiosity  shops.  They  are  a  staple  article  of 
trade,  selling  for  from  ten  to  twenty-five  cents  each,  the  price  paid  to  the 
fishermen  being  about  fifty  cents  per  dozen. 

The  sailors'  name  for  this  fish,  by  which  same  name  it  is  also  known  at 
Key  West,  Bermuda,  Brunswick,  Georgia  and  elsewhere,  is  "Tarpum"  or 
"  Tarpon."    In  Georgia  and  Florida  it  is  commonly  called  the  "Jew-fish." 


THE  irr.KRIXG  AXD  ITS  ALLIES. 


407 


wn  at 


a  name  also  applied  by  t lie   fishcrnu'ii  of  Stuitii    l-'lorida  to  a  si)c'c'ics  of  ' 
percoiil  wliii  ii   has  already  bfcn  disciisscil.       It   is   the   ••  Sihcr-fish "  of 
IVnsacola.  the   "  (Irandc-lCcailic  "    (Lar^i,a'-scalc  fish),  or   "  Cirandvkvo." 
asit  is  pronounced  and  sometimes  spelled,  and  the  "  Savanilla  "  of  Texas. 

The  species  can  hardly  he  said  to  be  common  on  our  Atlantic  coasts, 
thou^di  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  specimens  are  doubtless  taken  e\erv 
year  between  Florida  and  Cape  Cod.  In  1874  and  1.S75  none  were 
cau.L,du  in  the  St.  John's  River,  though  several  had  been  brought  in  during 
the  previous  winter.  In  the  Indian  River  region  these  fish  are  sometimes 
harpooned. 

Mr.  Stearns  contributes  the  following  notes  upon  the  fish,  as  oliserved 
by  him  : 

"  The  Silver  fish,  or  Crande  Ecaille,  is  common  everywhere  on  the 
Gulf  coast.  It  is  an  immense  and  active  fish,  preying  eagerly  upon  schools 
of  young  fry.  or  any  small  fish  that  it  is  able  to  receive  into  its  nu)Uth,  and 
in  pursuit  of  which  it  ascends  fresh-water  rivers  <piite  a  long  distance. 
During  September,  1S79,  I  saw  large  numbers  of  Silver-fish  eight  or  ten 
miles  up  the  Apalachicola  River,  and  am  told  that  that  was  not  an  unusual 
occurrence.  They  go  up  the  Homosassa  River  in  Florida,  and  several  of 
the  Texas  rivers,  so  I  have  subsecjuently  learned.  The  'i'ari)um  will  take 
a  baited  hook,  but  it  is  tlifficult  to  handle  and  seldom  landed.  The  I'ensa- 
cola  seine  fishermen  dread  it  while  dragging  their  seines,  for  they  have 
known  of  persons  having  been  killed  or  severely  injured  by  its  lea])ing 
against  them  from  the  seine  in  which  it  was  inclosed.  ICven  when  it  does 
not  jump  over  the  cork-line  of  a  seine,  it  is  quite  likely  to  break  through 
the  netting  before  landed.  I  have  securetl  several  specimens,  the  smallest 
t)f  which  weighed  thirty  pounds  and  the  largest  about  seventy-five 
pounds.     The  Tarpum  is  said  to  be  palatable  and  well  flavored." 

Dr.  C.  J.  Kenworthy,  of  Jacksonville,  F'la.,  known  in  the  literature  of 
American  angling  as  "Al.  Fresco,"  is  the  great  apostle  of  Tarpum,  and 
by  his  enthusiastic  advocacy  has  won  it  a  place  among  game  fishes. 

The  "Big-eyed  Herring"  or  "Ten-pounder,"  Khyps  sattnis,  was 
described  by  Linnteus  from  a  Carolina  specimen  sent  to  him  by  Carden. 
It  occurs  all  along  the  coast  from  Martha's  Vineyard  southward,  but  only 
in  the  summer  in  the  northern  part  of  its  range.  It  is  cosmopolitan  in 
its  distribution,  occurring  throughout  the  West  Indies,  on  the  coast  of 
South  America,  on  both  coasts  of  Mexico,  at  the  Cape  of  Cood  Hope,  in 
East  Africa,  Arabia  and  China.  At  Fort  Macon  it  is  known  as  the 
"Horse  Mackerel."  It  is  rarely  or  never  eaten  in  the  United  States,  its 
flesh  being  said  to  be  drv  and  bonv. 


:IS 


4oS 


AMERICAN  J'/SJIJCS, 


!l 


A  species  of  Anchovy,  Stohphonis  Jiroiinii,  is  extremely  common  aI)oiit 
Fort  Macon,  where  it  is  known  as  the  "Sardine"  and  occurs  in  large 
s(  hools.  Specimens  of  this  ami  of  an  allied  si)ecies,  .S,  Mitchilli,  are 
occasionally  taken  in  the  vi(  inity  of  Woods  Moll,  Mass.,  and  in  greater 
abundance  in  New  Jersey. 

'I'he  presence  of  a  true  Anchovy  in  America  was  first  annoiuicecl  by  I'rof. 
IJaird  in  1854.  A  species  was  noticed  by  Mitchill,  but  its  relations  to 
the  Anchovy  of  luirope  were  not  recognized.  In  his  report  on  the  I'ish 
of  the  New  Jersey  Coast,  I'rof.  Baird  remarked  of  S.  Browni :  "The 
Anchovy  made  its  appearance  early  in  August  in  the  shallow  waters  along 
the  beach,  though  of  very  small  size  ;  it  subseciuently  became  more  abund- 
ant, and  towards  the  end  of  the  month,  while  hauling  a  large  net  in  the 
surf,  many  were  taken,  measuring  o\er  six  inches  in  length ;  as  the  meshes 
of  the  net  were  large,  a  great  portion  escaped,  but  with  a  seine  proi)erly 
constructed  enough  could  be  secured  to  supply  the  American  market.  I 
procured  several  specimens  of  this  fish  in  1S47  at  the  residence  of  Mr. 
Audubon,  on  the  Hudson  River  above  New  York." 

There  is  little  reason  to  doubt  that  this  species  of  Anchovy  might  be 
prepared  in  salt  or  in  paste,  like  that  of  ICurope,  and  that  the  residts 
woulil  be  ctpially  satisfactory ;  as  an  actual  fact,  however,  most  of  the 
Anchovies  put  up  in  Europe  do  not  belong  to  this  genus  at  all,  but  are 
simply  pilchards  or  sprats  preserved  in  a  ])eculiar  manner,  the  name 
"Anchovy"  having  come  to  be  descrij^live  of  a  peculiar  method  of  pre- 
paration rather  than  of  the  fish  which  is  jirepared.  Our  Anchovy  has 
recently  been  sold  in  considerable  numbers  in  New  York  under  the  name 
"  Whitebait,"  although  the  fishermen  distinguish  it  from  the  true  "  White- 
bait," the  young  of  the  herring,  calling  it  "  Spearing." 

The  Anchovy  of  the  Pacific  coast  is  reported  by  Jordan  to  be  of  little 
economic  value.  The  commonest  form  is  what  he  calls  the  California 
Anchovy,  Stolcphonis  riiiyois,  and  which  is  thus  described  by  him  : 

"  This  species  is  everywhere  known  as  the  Anchovy.  It  reaches  a  length 
of  al>out  six  inches.  It  ranges  from  llritish  Columbia  to  Chili,  and  is 
])robably  found  on  the  coast  of  Asia  also.  It  is  found  in  sheltered  bays, 
and  is  everywhere  extremely  common,  but  rather  more  abundant  south  of 
San  Francisco  than  northward.  It  serves  as  food  for  the  larger  species  to 
a  greater  extent  than  any  other  single  species.  The  salmon,  bonito, 
mackerel  of  all  sorts,  barracuda,  sea-bass,  the  larger  flounders,  and,  in 
fact,  a  majority  of  the  larger  fishes  make  a  large  percentage  of  their  food 


THE  JIEKRIXG  .\.\n  ITS  ALLIES. 


409 


of  Ancliovy.  At  San  Fraiuisco  it  is  orcasionally  lirotiglu  into  tlu'  iiiarkLt. 
Sonif  atti'mpts  have  hccii  made  to  |ii(  klc  thcin  witli  spic  es  tor  the  trade, 
hut  tliis  amounts  to  little  as  yet.  A  ^Teat  many  are  salted  by  the  ChiiKse, 
who  use  them  as  hait  for  the  lloimders  and  ro(  k-lish.  Two  other  spec  ies 
of  An(ho\ies,  Sto/rp/iorus  i-(>inpri'ssiis  and  S/o/tp/ionis  i/('/i\it(issi>iii/s 
ahounil  south  of  I'oint   Conception.      They  have   no  eionomic  value." 

The  family  Vorosoiiiafit/tc  is  represented  on  our  Atlantic  coast  by  a 
single  species,  the  "  Mud-Shad,"  Dorosoina  Cipidiaiiuin,  which  is  abund- 
ant in  brackish  waters  along  the  coast  from  Delaware  I5ay  southwanl  to 
Me.xico.  In  the  Chesapeake  region  it  is  known  as  tlie  "Mud-Shad," 
"  Winter-Shad."  or  "  Stink  Shad;"  in  North  Carolina  as  tlie  "Hairy- 
back  "  or  the  "'I'hread  Herring  ;"  in  the  St.  John's  Ki\er  as  the  ••Ci/- 
zard  Shad,"  "Stink  Shad."  or  "White-eyed  Shad." 

The  names  "  (lizzard  Shad  "  or  "  Hickory  Shad  "  refer  to  tiie  pe(  uliar 
muscular  stomach,  which  is  of  about  the  si/e  of  a  hi(  kor\-nut  and  is 
shaped  like  the  gizzard  of  a  fowl.  The  fish  is  found  in  bra(  kish  waters, 
or  in  the  sea.  for  the  whole  length  of  our  coast.  It  enters  all  streams  after 
becoming  land-locked  in  ])onds,  and  throughout  the  whole  Mississippi 
Valley  it  is  perman'Mitly  resident  in  large  numbers  in  the  larg*er  streams 
and  reservoirs.  Since  the  construction  of  the  canals  it  has  appeared  in 
force  in  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  Michigan. 

This  fish  is  extremely  abundant  in  many  localities,  particularly  in  the 
St.  John's  River,  Florida,  where  it  becomes  an  annoyance  tu  the  fishermen 
by  getting  into  their  nets,  several  hundred  bushels  being  sometimes  taken 
in  a  shad  net.  They  are  also  sometimes  annoying  to  fishermen  using  gill- 
nets  for  catching  mullet.  In  the  I'otomac  they  are  abundant  and  attain  a 
maximum  size  and  weight.  Their  Hesh  is  coarse  and  not  delicate  in  tlavor, 
but  they  are  by  no  means  impalatable,  and  on  the  tributaries  of  the  C'hesa- 
peake  they  are  extensively  eaten  by  the  negroes.  In  the  St.  John's  Ri\er 
they  are  made  into  guano.  A  factory  for  this  jjurjiose  was  in  existence  in 
1874  at  Black  Point,  above  Palatka.  They  breed  in  summer,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  feed,  like  the  Menhaden,  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  bottom  mud. 

In  the  Great  Lake  regions  the  (lizzard  Shad  is  sometimes  split  and 
salted  as  "Lake  Shad,"  but  it  probably  meets  with  little  sale,  owing  to 
the  inferior  ciuality  of  the  flesh  and  the  presence  of  the  vast  number  of 
small  bones  that  make  up  the  skeleton.  It  is  usually  thrown  away  by  the 
fishermen,  and  when  brought  to  market  it  is  only  bought  l)y  the  poor  or 
the  ignorant.      It  is  not  infreijuently  seen  in  the  markets  of  Washington  in 


4IO 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


spring.     In  the  West  it  is  sometimes  seined  by  farmers  in  winter  in  still 
places  in  the  rivers  and  peddled  about  the  towns. 

The  Moon-eye,  Hyodon  tergisus,  is  a  handsome  fish,  taking  the  hook 
readily  and  feeding  on  minnows,  crustaceans  and  insects.  It  reaches  a 
weight  of  one  to  two  pounds.  "In  Lake  Pepin,"  writes  Dr.  D.  C. 
Estes,  "  in  some  seasons  they  seem  to  be  quite  plenty,  and  at  others  but  very 
few  are  seen.  On  the  whole,  I  have  always  regarded  it  as  a  rare  fish.  They 
are  vigorous  biters,  and  are  as  gamy  as  the  striped  bass  {Roccus  saxati/is). 
They  take  freely  the  minnow  or  fly,  and  are  one  of  the  smartest  of  fishes. 
They  will  come  up,  taste  of  a  fly,  let  go  and  begone  before  the  angler  has 
time  to  strike.  Therefore,  to  be  a  Moon-eye  fly-fisher  one  must  be  very 
sharp  and  not  read  a  book  while  casting,  as  I  once  knew  a  man  to  do.  As 
to  his  being  a  food-fish  there  is  not  a  single  doubt.  I  ate  one  this  very 
morning  for  my  breakfast,  and  it  was  excellent,  the  bones  being  far  less  in 
number  and  of  larger  size  than  in  the  herring." 

The  Lady-fish,  Albula  viilpcs,  occurs  in  the  West  Indies,  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  North  and  South  America, 
and  sparingly  along  our  Atlantic  shores  as  far  north  as  Cape  Cod.  It  is 
also  found  about  the  Bermudas  and  Cape  Verde  Islands,  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  the  Red  Sea,  and  on  the  coast  of  Japan.  With  us  it  is  usually 
called  the  "  Lady-fish  ;"  in  the  Bermudas  the  "  Bone-fish,"  or  "  Grubber." 
At  the  Bermudas  large  schools  are  taken,  and  it  is  there  considered  a  most 
excellent  food-fish.  From  personal  observation  I  can  testify  that  its 
reputation  is  by  no  means  a  false  one. 

Hensliall  found  it  in  the  Indian  River  inlet,  and  gives  it  a  fine  character 
as  a  game-fish.  Describing  winter  angling  experiences,  he  writes  :  "In 
the  course  of  an  hour,  and  in  quick  succession,  I  took  several  more  salt- 
water trout,  a  few  red-fish  or  channel-bass,  some  ravalliaor  snooks  of  from 
three  to  ten  pounds,  some  crevalle  of  three  or  four,  and  finally  a  Bone-fish 
of  about  three  pounds,  which  gave  more  real  sport  than  any  of  the  others. 
The  Bone-fish  or  Lady-fish,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  is  a  slender,  silvery 
fish,  and  fights  in  the  water  and  in  the  air  like  the  black-bass,  but  mostly 
in  the  air — a  Silver  Shuttle."* 

The  species  is  found  in  some  numbers  in  San  Diego  Bay,  on  the  coast  of 
California,  where  it  is  taken  with  the  mullet.  On  account  of  its  beautiful 
color  it  sells  readily,  but  is  not  especially  esteemed  as  a  table  fish. 

♦Turf,  Field  and  Farm,  Dec.  1884. 


TIIK  ASIATIC  CARl'. 

CARP.  DACE  Ax\D  MINNOW. 


When  we  please  to  walk  abroad, 

For  our  recreation, 
In  the  (lohls  is  onr  aboile 
Full  of  delectation  ; 
Where  in  a  brook, 
With  a  hook, 
Or  in  a  hike, 
Fish  we  take  ; 
There  we  sit 
Fur  a  bit. 
Till  we  fish  entan'ile. 


If  the  sun's  excessive  heat 
Make  our  b(p<lies  swelter. 
To  an  osier  hed^e  we  get 
Fur  a  friendly  shelter  ; 
Where  in  a  dyke, 
I'crch  or  pike. 
Roach  (jr  dace, 
We  do  chase 
lileak  or  gudgeon. 
Without  grudging  ; 
W'e  arc  still  contented. 


/\'sciitc'r's  Siiii^. 


A  LTHOUGH  the  fishes  of  the  Carp  family  have  received  l)iit  sliglit  con- 
■^~*-  sideration  from  American  writers  upon  angling,  I  am  convinced  that 
they  deserve  a  chapter  in  this  book,  on  account  of  their  growing  popuhirity 
among  the  great  angling-democracy  of  the  nation,  'i'hey  are  the  favorite 
fishes  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  modest  fresh-water  fishermen,  and  when 
this  continent  shall  have  become  more  densely  poinilated,  and  tlie  oppor- 
tunities for  field  sports  more  restricted,  it  is  hoped  that  the  inhabitants  of 
our  cities,  through  the  intervention  of  law  and  fish  culture,  may  have 
opportunities  for  fishing  etjual  to  those  now  enjoyed  by  the  i)eople  of 
Southern  England.  When  that  day  comes  the  Cyprinida;  must  be  counted 
upon  for  the  principal  contribution  to  their  pleasures. 

Our  cyprinoids  are   known   to  us,  for  the  most  part,   by  old   English 
names — names  which  are  dear  to  lovers  of  Waltonian  literature,  and  which 


i^m 


412 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


\\  I 


I 


are  embalmed  in  the  dramas,  essays  and  poems  of  the  old  masters.  Instead 
of  grouping  these  fishes  in  accordance  with  systematic  relations,  they  shall 
be  taken  up  under  their  popular  names  and  much  in  the  same  order  in 
Avhich  Piscator  introduced  them,  or  their  representatives,  to  his  pupil 
Venator,  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  years  ago. 

There  is  a  kind  of  pleasure  known  to  English  anglers  which  is  cultivated 
by  but  few  of  those  who  are  called  by  the  same  name  in  America — the 
quiet,  peaceful  delight  of  brook-fishing  in  the  midst  of  the  restful  scenery 
of  the  woods  and  the  meadows.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  thorough  dis- 
ciple of  Walton  chumming  for  striped-bass  in  the  surf  at  Newport  or  trolling 
for  Muskellunge  among  the  Thousand  Islands,  drailing  for  Blue-fish  in 
the  Vineyard  Sound,  or  tugging  at  a  tarpum-line  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
The  muscular  exertion,  the  excitement,  the  flurry  and  noise,  make  such 
sports  more  akin  to  the  fiercer  pursuits  of  hunting  than  to  the  contemplative 
man's  recreation.  The  wisest,  best  and  gentlest  of  anglers,  those  who 
have  made  the  literature  of  angling  akin  to  poetry,  have  not,  as  a  rule, 
preferred  to  make  a  violent  exercise  of  their  fishing. 

In  his  charming  essay  on  "  Roach-fishing  as  a  Fine  Art,"  Edward  Senior 
makes  some  pertinent  remarks  upon  this  topic.  "  Notv.'ithstanding,"  says 
he,  "■  the  Philistine  sneer  at  the  assertion  that  the  beauties  of  nature  are  a 
strong  attraction  for  the  angler,  the  fact  remains.  The  meadows,  woods, 
birds,  bees,  dragon-flies,  forget-me-nots,  meadow-sweet,  and  even  the 
water-vole  and  the  moorhen,  enter  into  the  vision  which  tempts  the  angler 
to  the  water-side.  A  little  angling  with  a  good  deal  of  the  sweet  sights 
and  sounds'  which  it  brings,  is  a  boon  to  tens  of  thousands,  who  ought  to 
be  ever  grateful  to  the  roach,  which  is  their  excuse  and  opportunity." 

This  is  the  true  Waltonian  spirit,  and  the  very  some  which  inspired  the 

angler's  songs  of  old  : 

Of  Recreation  there  is  none 
So  free  as  Fishing  is  alone  ; 
All  other  Pastimes  do  no  less 
Than  Mind  and  Body  both  possess  ; 

My  Hand  alone  my  Work  can  do, 

So  I  can  fish  and  study  too. 

I  love  not  Angling  (rude)  on  Seas- 
Fresh  Streams  my  Inclination  please, 
Wliose  sweet  calm  Course  to  Thought  I  call, 
And  seek  in  Life  to  copy  all ; 
in  Bounds  (like  them)  I  fain  would  keep, 
Like  them,  would  (when  I  break  them)  weep. 


CARP,  DACE  AND  MINNOW 


413 


And  when  the  timorous  Trout  I  wait 
To  take,  and  he  devours  my  IJait, 
How  small,  how  poor  a  thing  I  find 
Will  captivate  a  greedy  Mind  ; 

And  when  none  bite,  the  Wise  I  pra'se, 

Whom  false  Allurements  ne'er  betrays. 

If  (loo  intent  on  Sport)  I  fast, 
Good  Fortune  gives  me  repast  ; 
My  Friend  it  serves  me  to  invite. 
In  whom  I  more  than  tiuit  delight ; 

Who  comes  more  welcome  to  my  Dish 

Than  to  my  Angle  was  my  Fish. 

Not  only  must  we  recognize  their  claim  to  a  place  in  our  esteem,  but  we 
must,  in  our  far-reaching  plans  for  the  preservation  of  life  in  our  waters, 
provide  for  them,  not  only  for  themselves,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  common 
species  which  are  dependent  upon  them  for  food. 

These  fishes  are  of  importance  also  for  bait,  and  an  excellent  essay  upon 
the  use  of  minnows  for  bait,  written  by  Mr.  I).  W.  Cross,  was  i>rinted  in 
the  American  Angler  for  April,  1S83. 

The  Asiatic  Carp  is  the  king  of  the  Cyj^rinoids.  The  tribe  takes  its 
name  in  fact  from  the  genus  Cypriiiiis,  of  which  the  Carp  is  tiie  best  known 
form.  Linne  thus  described  it  in  1758  in  his  "  System  of  Nature:" 
Nobilis  piscis  sccpius  piscinis  cducatus,  circa  anno  1600  in  Angliam  intro- 
ductiis.  We  all  have  heard  the  old  saying,  that  turkies,  carp,  hops,  ]Mckerel 
and  beer  came  into  England  all  in  one  year,  which  is  by  no  means  a 
statement  of  fact.  It  was  known  in  England  as  early  as  1696,  when  if 
was  alluded  to  in  the  "  Boke  of  St.  Albans"  as  "a  dayntous  fysshe,  l)ut 
there  ben  but  few  in  England."  It  came  to  Denmark  in  1660,  and  to 
Sweden  in  1560,  and  was  cultivated  in  (lermany  and  France  as  early  as 
1258,  in  Austria  in  1227.  Cassiodorus  in  the  sixth  century  spoke  of  the 
Carpa  of  the  Danube  as  a  costly  fish  of  delicate  flavor,  and  supplied  to 
the  tables  of  princes.  No  one  knows  when  or  how  it  came  to  Eurojie 
from  its  original  homes  in  Persia,  China  and  the  far  east,  but  it  seems 
probable  that  it  moved  by  slow  stages,  from  pond  to  pond,  and  from  tribe 
to  tribe,  the  beginning  of  the  movement  dating  back  beyond  the  beginning 
of  the  Christian  era. 

The  acclimation  of  the  Asiatic  Carp  in  America  has  been  wonderfully 
successful.  As  it  often  happens,  the  conditions  here  seem  to  be  more 
favorable  than  in  Euroi)e,  and  in  our  southern  waters,  color,  activity  and 
growth  continue  throughout  the  entire  year,  the  fishes  soon  attain  a 
remarkable  size. 


! 


I 


[!i 


414 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  following  table  from   Cholmondeley-Pennell's   "Fishing"  will  be 
generally  useful  to  students  of  the  Carp: 

Comparative  Weights  and  Lengths  of  Carp. 


Lengtli. 

Weiglit. 

Lengtli. 

Weight. 

inches 

lbs.    or.s. 

inches 

/(^j.     o::s. 

9 

iH 

20 

5        5.!4^ 

10 

II 

21 

6        2 14: 

II 

14.^4:      1 

22 

7         i>4 

12 

I     2^      1 

23 

8            1^4^ 

13 

I     s% 

24 

9        3^ 

14 

I     I4>^ 

25 

10        634: 

15 

^      ^  , 

26 

II      II 

16 

2     11% 

27 

13        2 

17 

3      A'A 

28 

14      10 

18 

3  i4;< 

29 

15        4 

19 

4      9 

30 

16        0 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  speak  of  Carp  culture  or  to  give  statistics  of  the 
work  of  the  Fish  Commission.  All  these  matters  are  discussed  in  the 
angling  journals  and  the  Government  reports.  It  is  equally  useless  to 
s])eak  of  the  value  of  Carp  for  food.  Every  one  will  soon  put  this  to  a 
personal  test,  and  those  who  experiment  with  badly  cooked  or  badly  kept 
fish  will  ever  after  denounce  all  Carp  as  worthless.  The  place  of  the 
Carp  as  a  fish  for  sportsmen  has  not  been  discussed  very  fully,  and  since 
they  are  now  growing  abundant  in  all  our  streams,  it  is  ])roper  to  quote 
the  words  of  Pennell  as  to  the  manner  of  catching  them. 

"  Early  in  the  morning,  and,  occasionally,  late  in  the  evening,  are  the 
best  times  for  fishing  ;  but,  as  observed,  the  catching  of  Carp  with  the  rod 
and  line  is  always  a  difficult  and  uncertain  operation,  particularly  if  the 
fish  are  large.  The  smaller  the  pond,  the  better  the  chance  I  have  always 
found  of  catching  Carp  and  Tench,  though,  of  course,  they  are  not  so 
large  as  in  bigger  waters.  I  once  caught  half  a  bucketful  of  Carj)  before 
breakfast,  in  a  pond  by  the  side  of  a  road  between  Weybridge  and  Byfieet, 
which  was  not  bigger  than  an  ordinary  sized  ball-room.  The  biggest  of 
these  Carp  did  not,  however,  exceed  two  pounds  in  weight. 

'•  The  following  is  the  method  of  Carp  fishing  in  stagnant  waters  Avhich 
I  have  found  most  successful  : 

"  Let  the  line  be  entirely  of  medium  sized  or  fine  round  gut — clouded, 
if  possible — with  a  very  light  quill  float,  say  No.  4,  and  one  good-sized 
shot,  about  six  inches  or  so  from  the  hook,  which  should  be  No.  5  or  6 
and  baited  with  a  brandling  or  red  worm.     Plumb  the  dejith  accurately  ; 


CARP,  DACE  AXD  MINNOW. 


415 


and  arrange  the  distance  between  the  float  and  the  shot,  so  that  the  latter 
may  exactly  rest  on  the  l)ottom,  weighing  down  the  point  of  the  float  to 
about  '  half-cock,'  and  letting  the  gut  below  the  shot  and  the  bait  lie  («n 
ground.  Fix  the  rod  in  the  bank  antl  keep  jierfectly  quiet.  When  a  bite 
is  perceived,  do  not  strike  until  the  float  begins  to  move  away. 

"  It  constantly  happens,  however,  that  the  Carp  will  not  be  taken  either 
by  this  or  any  other  mode  of  fishing  with  which  I  am  accpiainted  ;  but  if 
he  is  to  be  caught  at  all  it  is  thus. 

"  The  baits  are,  worms  (first),  gentles,  greaves,  grains  and  various  sorts 
of  pastes,  of  which  latter,  however,  I  believe,  the  plain  white  bread  crumb 
paste  is  the  best,  as  well  as  the  most  easily  made.  Prof.  Owen,  who  had 
a  good  deal  of  Car])  fishing  exjjerience  in  Virginia  water,  gave  me  the 
results  of  his  practice  which  concur  in  a  great  measure  with  my  own, 
except  that  he  fished  with  his  bait  paste  made  of  soft  herring  roe  worked 
lip  with  bread  crumbs  and  wool,  a  favorable  substitute  sometimes  for  the 
brandling." 

In  Germany  the  Carp  season  is  in  July,  August  and  September.  The 
angler  usually  prepares  for  his  sport  by  "  ground-baiting  "  with  a  thou- 
sand or  more  angle-worms,  twenty-four  hours  before  he  expects  to  fish,  and 
while  fishing  he  throws  worms  into  the  water.  He  iises  Nottingham 
tackle,  and  baits  his  hook  with  the  tail  of  an  angle  worm,  or  with  grains 
of  barley  or  wheat,  a  maggot  or  a  wasp-larva,  or  with  balls  of  (U)ugh.  The 
bait  rests  on  the  ground,  anil  the  fish  is  allowed  to  rise  toward  the  surface 
before  striking.     The  young  Carp  of  two  pounds  or  less  bite  the  best. 


THE  KING  CAKl'  OU  MlltltOli  C.Uil'. 

The  natural  result  of  so  many  centuries  of  pond  culture  has  be^n  the 
difi'erentiation  of  varieties  as  well  marked  as  those  among  poultry  or 
domestic  animals.     The  most  important  of  these  for  the  fish  culturist  are 


ii 


4i6 


AMERICAN  FISHES, 


those  which  have  been  introthiccd  into  America  by  the  Fish  Commission. 
These  arc  (i)  the  '•  Scale  Carp  ;"  with  reguUir,  concentrically  arranged 
scales,  being  in  fact  the  original  species  improved.  A  picture  of  this  form 
stands  at  the  head  of  the  chapter. 

(2.)  The  "  King  Carp  "  or  "  Mirror  Carp,"  thus  named  on  account  of 
the  extraordinarily  large  scales  which  run  along  the  sides  of  the  body  in 
three  or  four  rows,  the  rest  of  tlie  body  being  bare.  When  there  is  a  row 
of  large  scales  down  the  back  it  is  called  the  "  Saddle  Carp." 


THK  T.KATIIKR  CARP. 

(3.)  The  "  Leather  Carp,"  whicli  has  on  the  back  either  only  a  few- 
scales  or  none  at  all,  and  possesses  a  thick,  soft  skin,  which  feels  velvety 
to  the  touch. 

In  addition  to  these  somewhat  interchangeable  varieties  of  the  typical 
Carp  there  are  certain  other  local  forms  which  have  been  described  as 
definite  species,  such  as  the  Danube  Carp,  C.  acuminatus,  the  Lake  Carp, 
C.  hitiii^aricus,  abundant  in  the  Lakes  of  Flatten  and  Neusiedler,  an 
Italian  form,  C.  rt-x'iiia  and    C.  Xordmanni,  from  Southern  Russia. 

Another  Carp,  Carassiis  vulgaris,  the  Karausche  of  C-.'rmany,  often 
called  the  Crucian  Carp  or  Cierman  Carp,  is  as  protean  in  its  forms  as 
Cyprinus  carpio  itself,  and  jjrobably  found  its  way  from  the  far  East  in 
much  the  same  manner  :  a  large-headed  form,  C.  gibclio,  is  often  called 
the  Prussian  Carp,  and  a  specially  differentiated  tyi)e,  C.  buccphalus,  lives 
only  in  the  warm  springs  of  Macedonia.  The  Ciold  Carj)  or  Gold-fish  is 
believed  by  some  comjietent  ichthyologists  to  be  simply  a  variety  of  the 
Karausche,  and  when  it  escapes  I'rom  domestication,  quickly  reverts  to  its 
ancestral  form  and  color.     The  Karausche  hybridizes  freely  with  the  Carp, 


CARP,  DACE  AXD  MIXNOW 


417 


and    numerous    curious  and  perplexing   forms  have    resulted    from   such 
intermixturing. 

The  so-called  Carp  of  the  Hudson  appears  to  be  either  escaped  (lold- 
fish  or  some  inferior  hybrid  form  of  the  "  Karausche "  type.  Those 
introduced  into  Calilornia  a  few  years  ago  by  Mr.  Popj^e  were  an  inferior 
strain  of  Scale  Carp.  The  "Carp"  of  \'irginia  is  a  sucker,  Carpiotks 
cyprinus. 


TlIK  GOLD  CARP. 


The  Gold-Carp,  the  favorite  of  acpiarium-keepers,  is  constantly  becoming 
more  popular,  and  many  thousands  have  been  distributed  by  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission  within  the  iiast  few  years,  incidentally,  in  con- 
nection with  the  work  on  food-fislies.  It  frecjuently  escapes  from  domes- 
tication, reverts  to  the  natural  hue  of  olive-bronze,  and  is  taken  in  nets 
and  brought  to  market.  'J'he  graceful  long-tailed  and  triple-tailed  vari- 
eties from  Japan  are  reared  by  the  Fish  Commission  as  well  as  the  silvery 
and  the  parti-colored  forms,  silver  and  gold.  Mr.  Seal  has  by  artificial 
selection  produced  some  grotescjue  forms,  surpassing  even   them  of  Japan. 

"The  Gold-fish  and  its  Culture,"  by  Hugo  Mulertt,  of  Cincinnati,  is 
a  book  worthy  of  a  i)lace  by  the  side  of  every  aquarium.  Henry  W.  I'^lliott, 
of  Cleveland,  has  had  fine  success  in  hatching  then  in  open,  ornamencal 
ponds,  and  has  desc  ribed  his  experience  in  the  Bulletin  of  the  United 
States  Fish  Commission. 


4iS 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


It  is  very  interesting  to  a  fisli  culturist  to  visit  the  sites  of  mediaeval 
abbeys  in  England  and  trace  out  the  remains  of  the  immense  stews  or 
ponds  in  which  the  provident  monks  of  old  were  wont  to  rear  Carp  and 
Tench  and  eels.  The  pond  culture  of  England  in  the  Middle  Ages  was 
very  extensive,  but  has  not  been  resumed  in  later  days.  On  the  conti- 
nent, especially  in  Germany,  however,  it  has  been  continued,  and  there 
are  many  excellent  treatises  on  "  Teichwirthschaft." 


TlIK  TKXCII. 


The  Tench,  Tinea  vulgaris,  the  Schleihe  of  Germany,  and  the  Tanche 
of  France  has  already  become  acclimated  in  our  waters,  particularly  in  the 
Potomac,  and  will  soon  be  available  for  the  uses  of  anglers.  It  frecjuents 
streams  and  ponds  with  muddy  bottoms,  and  is  partial  to  weedy  places. 
It  is  exceedingly  tenacious  of  life,  and  even  when  grown  in  foul  water  has 
delicate  white  flesh,  which  many  prefer  to  that  of  the  Carp.  Both  Tench 
and  Carp  are  better  if  kept  in  clear,  cool  water  for  a  few  days,  and  the 
slime  should  be  washed  off  their  scales  with  warm  water  before  they  are 
cooked.  I  have  eaten  the  Schlei  in  Bremen,  and  can  speak  well  of  it 
for  in  flavor  and  texture  it  resembles  the  American  bluefish.  My 
praise  is,  however,  but  feeble  compared  with  that  of  Badham,  who  writes: 

"  In  spite  of  the  ]>rejudice  entertained  by  some  Italian  doctors,  and  all 
the  old  women  of  Italy,  who  believe  this  fish  to  be  so  impregnated  with 
marsh  malaria  as  necessarily  to   engender  ague. 

Nessuno  mangia  tenca 
Che  febre  non  senta. 

At  Florence  it  is  held  superior  to  any  fishy  food  which  enters  the  market, 
and  in  the  Neapolitan  pescheria  yields  to  very  few  finer  marine  species.     A 


CARP,  DACE  AND  MINXOW 


419 


Florentine  noble  once  had  the  hardiliood  to  assert  at  Leo  X.  's  table  that  there 
was  nothing  which  swam  the  sea,  to  his  mind,  comparable  to  a  good  'i'liscan 
Tench  ;  which  declaration,  though  it  convulsed  the  native  Romans  assem- 
bled at  the  board  with  laughter  at  the  simjilicity  of  so  poor  a  connoisseur,  we 
should  certainly  have  sided  with,  and  been  willing  to  ba(  k  an  Agnano  or 
Thrasymene  'Tenca'  against  the  whole  of  the  Mediterranean  ichthyarchy."* 

The  season  for  Tench  fishing  in  Clermany  is  from  July  to  October.  The 
waters  are  ground-baited  on  the  day  before  with  angle-worms  or  wash- 
larva;,  and  the  method  of  angling  is  the  same  as  for  the  Carp. 

The  Tench  is  an  animal,  which,  like  the  owl  and  the  weasel,  was 
in  former  days  looked  upon  with  veneration  and  c\en  awe,  and  is  an  im- 
portant accession  to  our  f^iuna  if  only  by  reason  of  the  wealtli  of  fable 
which  it  brings  in  its  wake. 

"The  Tench,  said  Piscator,  "is  the  physician  of  fishes,  and  loves  ])onds 
better  than  rivers. 

"  In  e\-ery  Tench's  head  there  are  two  little  stones,  which  foreign  ])hy- 
sicians  make  great  use  of,  but  is  not  commended  for  wholesome  meat, 
though  there  be  very  much  use  made  of  them  for  outward  api)lications. 
Rondeletius  says  that,  at  his  being  at  Rome,  he  saw  a  great  cure  done  by 
applying  a  Tench  to  the  feet  of  a  very  sick  man.  This,  he  says,  was  done 
after  an  unusual  manner,   by  certain  Jews. 

"  The  Tench  is  the  physician  of  fishes,  for  the  pike  especially;  and 
that  the  pike,  being  either  sick  or  hurt,  is  cured  by  the  touch  of  the  Tench. 
And  it  is  observed,  that  the  tyrant  ])ike  will  not  be  a  wolf  to  his  physi- 
cian, but  forbears  to  devour  him,  though  he  be  never  so  hungry." 

The  Minnow  or  Penk,  which  Piscator  used  as  a  bait  in  fishing  fijr  trout, 
and  the  manner  of  impaling  which  he  so  minutely  described  to  his  scholar, 
Avas  Plwximis  lacvis  Ag.,  a  species  widely  distributed  over  Europe — the 
Vairon  of  France,  the  Pfrille  of  Germany,  the  Fregarolo  of  Italy. 

Our  Saxon  ancestors  knew  it  many  hundreds  of  years  ago  as  the 
"  Menawe,"  and  admired  its  graceful  form  and  many  hues.  We  have  four 
species  of  Phoxiniis  in  North  America  ;  one  in  the  Tennessee,  one  in  the 
Upper  Missouri,  one  in  the  Beaver  River.  Utah,  and  one  sparingly  repre- 
sented in  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Iowa.  We  have,  besides,  numerous 
forms  sufficiently  similar  to  be  known  by  the  same  name,  which,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  is  applied  indiscriminately  to  all  small  cyprinoids,  and  in- 
deed to  all  small  fresh-water  fishes.      "  Minnow  bait  "  is  used  by  all  live- 

■■•'  Prose  Halicutics,  p.  J74. 


420 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


bait  fishermen,  and  we  have  "artificial   minnows"  of  multifarious  forms 
for  salt-water  as  well  as  for  inland  angling. 


TIIK  KrnOPKAN  MIXN'On'— I'lIOXIVl'S  I.AF.VIS. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  ourspecies  is  the  "  Black-striped  Minnow," 
RliinicJithys  afroiiasus,  also  abundant  in  clear  brooks  and  mountain  streams 
from  Ohio  and  Virginia  to  New  England,  and  one  of  the  choicest  of 
aquarium  pets. 

The  Minnow  is  artificially  propagated  in  France  for  the  benefit  of  car- 
nivorous fishes  in  ponds.  Since  it  is  an  exceedingly  prolific  species,  it  is 
possible  that  its  introduction  into  America  might  be  beneficial. 


THE  EUnOPF.AN'  GUDGEON'— GOIilO  I'LUVIATII.IS!. 

"  The  Gudgeon,"  said  Piscator,  "  is  reputed  a  fish  of  excellent  taste,  and 
to  be  very  wholesome  ;  he  is  of  a  fine  shape,  of  a  silver  color,  and  beauti- 
fied with  black  spots  both  on  his  body  and  tail.  He  breeds  two  or  three 
times  in  the  year,  and  always  in  summer.  He  is  commended  for  a  fish  of 
excellent  nourishment;  the  Germans  call  him  Groundling,  by  reason  of 
his  feeding  on  the  ground,  and  he  there  feasts  himself  in  sharp  streams  and 
0  1  the  gravel.  He  is  a  most  excellent  fish  to  ent^r  a  young  angler,  being 
easy  to  be  taken  with  a  small  red  worm,  on  or  near  to  the  ground.     He  is 


CARP,  DACE  AND  MINNOW. 


421 


one  of  those  lealhcr-mouthcd  flsh  that  has  his  teeth  in  his  throat,  and  will 
hardly  be  lost  off  from  the  hook  if  lie  be  once  striicken." 

We  have  no  true  Gudgeons  in  America,  but  the  name  is  familiar  to 
every  American.  It  is  a  curious  illustration  of  the  persistence  and  vitality 
of  popular  sayings — that  any  man  of  lOnglish  descent,  be  he  of  the  I'^ast, 
West  or  South,  if  in  fishing  his  hook  brings  up  a  worthless  object,  a  stick, 
a  tin-can  or  a  rusty  crinoline,  will  remark  that  he  has  "  caught  a  gudgeon." 
And  this  is  simply  a  manner  of  speech  handed  down  to  him  through 
several  generations,  from  his  English  forefathers.  The  dramas  current  in 
England  at  the  time  when  America  was  first  colonized  were  full  of  allusions 
to  Gudgeon  catching,  which  seem  to  have  been  a  i)art  of  the  slang  lan- 
guage of  the  day,  and  in  which  the  man  who  fished  for  Gudgeon  seems  to 
have  been  considered  as  contemptible  as  the  Gudgeon  itself. 

In  1533,  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  Holinshed  in  his  "  Chronicle 
of  Ireland  "  asked  :  "  Do  you  think  that  James  was  so  mad  as  to  gape  for 
gogions?"  and  Butler  in  "  Hudibras  "  said  : 

"  Make  fools  believe  in  their  foreseeing 
Of  things  before  they  are  in  being 
To  swallow  gudgeons  'ere  tliey're  catched 
And  count  their  chickens  'ere  they're  hatclied." 

Webster  in  his  drama,  "  The  Devil's  Law-Case,"  in  1623,  iwade  Romelio 
to  say : 

"  I  would  wisli  my  nol)le  venturer  take  heed, 
It  may  be  that  while  he  hopes  to  catch  a  gilt-head 
He  may  draw  up  a  gudgeon."  \Act\,Sc.    \.\ 

Barry  in  his  "  Ram-Alley  ;  or,  Merry  Tricks,"  in  161 1,  made  use  of  this 

dialogue : 

Adriaiia :    "  I  took  you  for  a  novice,  and  I  must  think 
You  know  not  the  inwards  of  a  woman. 
Do  you  not  know  that  women  are  like  fish, 
Wliicli  must  be  struck  when  they  are  brave  to  bite, 
Or  all  your  labor's  lost." 
Small-SIiauks :    Has  the  gudgeon  l)it  ? 

Frances:    He  has  been  nibbling.  [Act  2,  Sc.    i.] 

Ben  Jonson  and  Richard  Duke  also  alluded  to  the  gudgeon,  and  we  all 
aie  familiar  with  the  advice  of  Gratiano  in  "  The  Merchant  of  Venice  :" 


"  But  fish  not  with  his  melancholly  baite, 
For  this  foo!  gudgeon,  this  opinion. 


[Acti,Sc\    1.] 


422 


AMERJCAX  I'ISIIES, 


^  '  i 


It  would  sc'cm  that  bt-forc  Ilnglaml  came  to  America  this  wonl  liad  be- 
come' associated  with  an  idea  to  such  a  de^M'ee  that  the  fish,  the  little  ^\<^oJoiif'' 
of  the  i'lnglisli  middle  ages,  had  been  almost  lost  sight  of,  and  this  will 
a((  ount  for  the  curious  fact  that  the  dudgeon  was  almost  the  only  common 
fish  of  the  motherland  whose  name  was  not  given  to  several  smaller  forms 
in  different  parts  of  Colonial  America. 

It  was  only  in  Virginia,  which  was  the  most  English  of  all  the  colonies, 
and  at  the  head  of  the  Chesapeake,  that  the  name  was  adopted.  The 
(iudgeons  of  the  Tuckahoes  are  the  little  cyprinodents.  known  as  "  muni- 
michogs  "  in  New  England  and  "  killifish  "  in  the  Middle  States,  belong- 
ing to  Fuiiduhis,  Hyiirargyra  and  related  genera.  The  Gudgeon  of  the 
Patapsco  and  the  lower  Sustiuehannah  is  a  cyprinoid  fish,  Jfyl>ognathiis 
renins. 

Ciudgeon  fishing  at  Relay  House  and  in  that  vicinity  is  a  favorite  sport 
of  the  Baltimore  people  in  April.  The  (iudgeons  then  ascend  the  Patapsco, 
to  spawn  and  are  taken  in  vast  numbers  with  the  finest  of  tackles  ancL 
worms  or  maggots  for  bait.* 


THE  AMERICAS'  RIVER  CHUB— CERATICIITHYS  BIGUTTATUS. 

Zoologically  speaking,  the  nearest  kindred  of  the  Gudgeon  on  this  side- 
of  the  Atlantic  are  the  members  of  the  genus  Ccratichthys,  (or  Nocomis), 
of  which  we  have  at  least  twenty  species,  the  best  known  of  which  is  our 
"  Horny  Head  "  or  River  Chub,  CcraticJithys  higuttaius,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  widely  diffused  of  fresh-water  fishes,  occurring  from  New  York  to 
Utah  and  Alabama.  It  reaches  a  length  of  ten  or  twelve  inches.  It  in- 
habits larger  streams  than  the  Horned  Dace,  which  delights  in  little 
brooks.     It  takes  the  hook  readily,  and  throughout  the  southwest  is  a  great 

*  Gudgeon-fishing  in  Maryland,  American  Angler,  in,  408. 


CV/AV,  DACE  AXD  ML\XO\\\ 


4-'3 


source  of  satisfaction   to  iIk-  angler.     Tlic   Ikvsli  of  tiiis  ami   oiIkt  small 
Cyprinida;  is  very  jjalatablc  when  fried  (risp  soon  after  heinj,'  taken  from 
the  water.     Toward  the  northwest  another  Chub,  Plit(y\:;ohi.^ :^rtuilis,  takes 
the  place  of  the    preceding,  and  reaches  a  somewhat  larger  si/e. 
The  linglish  Chub  is  also  closely  allied  to  its  American  namesake. 


w^f^^^^w^^^W'- 


'  J_iJ«4i^ 


Tin:  KXOM.sii  niiMi. 

The  English  Chub,  "  Chevin  "  or  Chavender,  Si/iia/iiis  ccphalus,  the 
Chevaine  or  Dobule  of  France,  the  Altel  or  Dobel  of  (Jermany  is  widely 
distributed  over  Europe  and  Asia  Minor. 

Frank  Buckland  comj)ares  it  to  the  "N'orkshirenuin's  horse — very  bad  to 
catch  and  no  good  when  he  is  caught — but  many  old-school  anglers  will 
not  ratify  his  judgment. 

Pennell  says  of  the  Chub  that,  though  not  so  mettlesome  or  gamese)nie 
as  the  Dace,  it  grows  to  far  greater  size,  and  has  the  merit  of  taking  the 
artificial  fly  kindly. 

The  Chub  is  believed  by  many  etymologists  to  have  derived  its  Eng- 
lish name  from  an  old  Saxon  word  meaning  "head,"  and  its  French 
name  also  from  chef,  a  word  of  similar  significance.  It  is  also  often  called 
the  '*  1-oggerhead,"  and  in  Germany  the  "  Dickkopf,"  and  in  France  the 
"Cabot." 

The  word  "chubby"  we  owe,  perhaps,  to  this  plump   little  Lcuciscus. 

Marston,   in   1602,  in  his  play  called   "Antonio's   Revenge,"    used  this 

simile  : 

"  I  never  saw  a  fool  lean  ;  the  chiih-faced  fop 
Shines  sleek  with  full-cramm'd  fat  of  happiness." 

It  attains  a  length  of  two  feet  and  a  weight  of  eight  or  ten  pounds,  lives 
in  clear,  swift  waters,  and  is  found  in  the  mountains  of  Central  Europe  to 
a  height  of  3,000  feet  or  more,  as  well  as  in  the  brackish  waters  of  North 


11 


I  i 


\  \ 


';•  i 


►  •  'Hi 

I  4, 


'I  i 


- ,- .  i 


m 


424 


AiVERICAN  FISHES. 


Germany,  Finland  and  the  lower  reaches  of  the  Thames  and  other  Eng- 
lish rivers.  Somewhat  gregarious  in  habits,  it  occurs  in  schools  about 
bridge  piers  and  mills,  or  in  deej)  holes  with  hard  bottoms,  or  in  mid- 
summer lies  near  the  surface  in  shady  places.  It  was  at  this  season  that 
Walton  taught  his  scholars  to  catch  Chubs. 

"  Look  here,  sir,  do  you  see?  said  Piscator,  there  lie  upon  the  top  of 
the  water,  in  this  very  hole,  twenty  Chubs.  I'll  catcl  only  one,  and  that 
shall  be  the  biggest  of  them  all,  and  that  I  will  do  so,  I'll  do  so,  I'll  hold 
you  twenty  to  one,  and  you  shall  see  it  done." 

Piscator  was  a  skillful  angler,  for,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  con- 
sidered the  Chub  "  the  fearfullest  of  fishes,"  he  landed  his  choice.  And 
then,  when  it  was  cooked,  Venator,  who  had  called  the  Chub  "the  worst 
fish  that  swims,  confessed  that  'twas  as  good  meat  as  he  had  ever 
tasted,"  and  forthwith  became  the  master's  scholar.* 

The  food  of  Squalius  is  miscellaneous,  like  that  of  the  Carp,  and  in- 
cludes among  other  things  frogs,  mice  and  even  rats.  Cunning  anglers 
tempt  its  appetite  with  red  cherries,  strawberries  and  raspberries. 

The  spawning  time  is  in  yVpril,  May  and  June,  when  the  back  of  the 
male  becomes  covered  with  a  fine  white  granulation.  The  eggs  number 
100,000  or  more,  and  are  deposited  in  gravel  or  weeds  in  shallow  water. 

Its  shyness,  its  strength  and  its  size  make  it  a  favorite  among  anglers, 

and  there  are  many  who  make  its  pursuit  a  specialty. 

"  The  Chub  of  all  fish  in  his  silver  Trent 
Invites  the  angler  to  the  tournament." 

Trench  in  his  '  'Northern  Memoirs. ' ' 

In  England  its  popularity  seems  to  be  increasing.  Pennell  protests 
against  the  old  fashion  of  painting  the  Chub  as  a  sort  of  water  donkey, 
and  Wheeldon  speaks  of  it  when  in  condition  as  an  exceptionally  hand- 
some fish,  while  Senior  writes  thus  in  its  favor: 

"Fly-fishing  for  Chab  answers  best  in  the  hot  summer  months,  and 
alon2;  the  willow  and  aider-lined  reaches  i)ayable  sport  is  obtained.  It  is 
a  great  boon  for  the  man,  in  the  big  city  pent,  to  be  able  to  get  away  from 
business,  and  by  an  afternoon  train  arrive  at  any  portion  of  the  Thames 
below  Oxford  in  time  to  have  three  or  four  of  the  best  hours'  fly-fishing 
which  the  day  afi"ords.  The  Chub  is  not  fastidious  in  its  choice  of  flies. 
So  long  as  the  lure  is  large  and  hairy  ;  so  long  as  it  bears  some  passing 
resemblance  to  a  caterpillar  or  beetle  or  large-winged  moth,  the  anglers' 
chances  of  big  fish  are  good.f" 

*  l);ime  Julian.i  Herners  said  that  "  the  chevyii  is  a  stately  fysshe,  and  his  heed  is  a  deynty  morsell." 
tWilliam  Senior  ("  Red-spinner")  Angling  in  Great  liritaiii,p.  4S. 


CARP,  DACE  AND  MINNOW. 


425 


The  Dace  of  England,  Squalius  iaiciscus,  belongs  to  the  same  genus, 
which  is  one  of  the  largest  in  this  group  of  fishes,  abundantly  represented 
in  the  Paloeartic  region,  and  by  at  least  fifty  species  in  North  America. 


THE  EUROPEAN  DACE.    SQUALIUS  LEUCISCUS. 

It  is  the  Vandoise  of  France,  the  Hasel  of  Austria,  the  Hiiseling  of 
North  Germany. 

The  name  Dace  seems  to  be  a  modification  of  the  word  meaning  a  dart 
or  javelin.  Hundreds  of  years  ago,  according  to  Skat,  it  was  called 
"  Darce  "  and  "Dare"  (pronounced  rt'rt'//;')  by  our  English  forefathers, 
names  clearly  related  to  the  old  French  dard  and  the  Latin  dardiis.  The 
Bretons  call  this  species  the  "  Darz,"  and  in  parts  of  England  it  is  still 
known  by  the  name  "  Dart." 

Pennell  tells  us  that  it  is  "a  bright,  graceful  fish,  glancing  about  in  the 
clear,  and  quiet  streams  which  are  often  barren  of  trout  or  salmon,"  and 
is  in  full  season  from  October  to  January  when  these  are  spawning,  "and 
thus,"  he  continues,  "  a  red-letter  day's  sport  is  often  to  be  obtained 
which  would  otherwise  have  had  to  be  left  blank  in  the  angler's  diary." 
It  readily  rises  to  an  artificial  fly,  as  does  also  the  Chub,  and  Pennell's 
instructions  are  worth  the  consideration  of  American  brook  anglers.* 

The  German  anglers,  who  fish  for  the  Hiiseling  from  July  to  October, 
ground-bait  with  several  hundred  angle  worms,  about  twenty  hours  before 
they  intend  to  fish.  They  use  the  same  tackle  and  bait  as  in  carp  fishing, 
and  occasionally,  in  the  latter  part  of  July  and  August,  employ  an  artificial 
fly,  which  they  find  more  tempting  if  a  maggot  is  added  at  the  top  of  the 
hook. 

It  is  said  that  the  Jews  consume  great  quantities  of  Dace  in  their  seasons 

♦See  "  The  Uadminton  Library." 


m 


426 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


of  fishing;  otherwise  the  fish  is  not  now  in  especial  favor  for  food.  Its 
scales  are  so  silvery  and  bright,  however,  that  it  makes  the  best  of  live- 
baits  for  pike  or  perch  fishing,  and  has  been  used  for  this  purpose  from 
times  immemorial. 

"  If  the  young  dace  be  a  bait  for  the  old  pike,"  said  Falstaff,  "  I  see  no 
reason  in  the  law  of  nature,  but  I  may  snap  at  him." 

There  are  many  species  of  Squalius  in  the  streams  and  lakes  of  the  far 
West  and  Southwest  which  must  in  time  be  highly  prized  by  our  people. 
At  present,  however,  it  is  only  in  localities  which  are  thickly  po])ulated 
that  the  native  cyprinoids  and  catostomoids  are  known  and  appreciated. 

Two  species,  Squalius  rhomaleus  and  S.  atrarius,  are  excessively 
abundant  in  Utah  Lake.  The  latter,  as  it  ascends  the  streams  to  spawn 
almost  simultaneously  with  the  \xo\\\.  {Salino  fuiptiratus),  is  extremely 
destructive  to  the  young  salmonoids.  It  is  taken  in  considerable  numbers 
in  seines,  and  is  sold  in  the  markets  of  Salt  Lake  City  and  other  towns. 
It  reaches  a  length  of  nearly  a  foot.     These  species  are  known  as  Mullets 

and  Chubs. 

i 

Numerous  others,  similar  in  size  and  habits,  abound  in  the  region  be- 
tween the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  are  used  as  food 
by  the  Indians  and  by  the  white  settlers.  Among  these  are  S.  nigcr,  S. 
purpurcus,  S.  ohcsus,  S.  pandora,  the  '' Pescadito  "  of  the  Rio  Grande 
region,  ^S'.  henia,  the  "  Leather-sided  Minnow  "  of  the  Provo  River  and 
Salt  Lake  Basin,  and  S.  clongata,  the  "  Red-sided  Shiner  "  of  the  Upper 
Missouri  and  the  great  lakes. 

President  Jordan  speaks  briefly  as  follows  of  various  other  American 
forms : 

The  "Chub"  or  "Mullet"  of  San  Francisco,  Squalius  gihbosus, 
abounds  in  the  Sacramento  River,  and  is  taken  in  great  numbers.  It 
reaches  a  length  of  about  a  foot,  and  is  eaten  chiefly  by  the  Chinese. 

The  various  species  of  Gila  al)Ound  in  the  basin  of  the  Rio  Colorado  and 
Rio  Gila,  and  are  used  as  food  in  New  Mexico  and  Arizona.  They  reach 
a  length  of  about  eighteen  inches.  Gila  clegaiis,  robusta  and  Grahainixx.xQ 
the  principal  species. 

Ptychochilus  orcgoiicusis  abounds  in  the  Columbia  and  Sacramento  and 
their  tributaries,  where  it  is  known  as  "  Shepawl"  and  "  Pike."  It  reaches 
a  length  of  three  or  four  feet  at  least,  a  size  much  greater  than  that  of  any 
other  of  our  representatives  of  this  family.  A  great  many  are  brought  into 
the  markets  of  San  Francisco  in  the  winter.  A  second  species  {^Ptychochilus 
Ilarfordi)  accompanies  P.  orcgonoisis  in  the  Sacramento,  and  is  brought 


CARP,  DACE  AND  MINNOW 


427 


-1(1 


to 


with  it  to  the  markets.  A  third  species  {Ptychochi/iis  /iiciiis)  occurs  in  the 
lower  course  of  the  Rio  Colorado,  and  is  said  to  reach  a  still  larger  size — 
a  length  of  five  or  six  feet. 

Mylopharodon  conoccphalus  occurs  with  PlycJiocJiilus  orri:;o/iciisis  in  the 
Sacramento,  and  is  brought  with  it  into  the  markets.  It  reaches  a  size 
scarcely  less  tiian  that  oi  P.  or(\i:;o>icii-'s,  but  is  less  i)lentiful. 

Mylochiliis  caurimis  abounds  from  California  to  Tuget  Sound  in  all  the 
streams  of  Oregon,  Washington  and  Idaho,  and  often  enters  the  sea.  It 
reaches  a  length  of  little  more  than  a  foot,  and  is  used  for  food  where  trout 
and  other  better  fishes  abound.  Its  great  numbers,  however,  give  it  a 
special  claim  to  notice. 

The  Split-tail,  Po^^oiiichtJiys  iiiacro/cpu/ofiis,  is  very  common  in  the  Sacra- 
mento, and  is  brought  in  consitlerabie  numbers  to  the  San  Francisco 
market.     It  reaches  a  length  of  about  eighteen  inches. 

The  ''Cut-lips,"  "Day  Chub."  or  "Nigger  Chub,"  Pxo},^h>ssiiin 
maxi/Iingua,  has  but  a  narrow  distribution,  being  found  in  abundance  only 
in  the  basin  of  the  Susquehanna.  It  reaches  a  length  of  six  or  eight  inches, 
and  has  no  economic  importance. 

Lavinia  exilicauda  is  found  in  some  abundance  in  most  streams  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  comes  occasionally  into  the  market.  It  reaches  a  length  of 
about  fifteen  inches. 

Orf/iodon  microlcpidotiis  occwx^  inmost  streams  of  California  in  consider- 
able abundance.  A  good  many  are  sent  to  the  market  of  San  Francisco, 
where  they  are  eaten  by  the  Chinese.  It  reaches  a  length  of  about  eighteen 
inches. 

The  Hard-mouth  Ci  ib,  Acrochilus  aliilacciis,  is  found  in  the  rivers  of 

It  reaches  a  length  of  about  a  foot,  but  is 


\\  a'.hington 
rar  ly  eaten. 


Oregor 


ly 


The  name  Dace  in  the  Eastern  states  has  been  appropriated  by  a  sjjccies 
]ierhaps  more  strictly  entitled  to  be  called  a  chub,  but  which  is  not  likely 
ever  to  relinquish  its  time-honored  appellation.  This  is  the  Dace  or  Horned 
Dace,  Scmotilus  corpora/is,  a  fish  which  abounds  in  all  small  streams  and 
ponds  from  Western  Massachusetts  to  Nebraska  and  southward.  It  reaches 
the  length  of  about  a  foot,  and  is  beautiful,  active  and  gamy,  rising  to  the 
fiy  almost  like  a  brook  trout,  though  usually  taken  with  worm-bait.  The 
"horns"  to  this  and  other  Minnows  and  Chubs  are  dermal  excrescences 
developed  on  the  males  in  the  breeding  season,  but  absent  at  other  times. 

The  name  Corporal  seems  to  have  been  derived  from  the  Dutch  or 
German  settlers  of  the  Middle  States.  "  Corporaalen  "  is  one  of  its  com- 
mon names  in  that  region. 

Very  closely  allied  to  the  Eastern  Dace  is  the  "Fall-fish,"    SemoHlus 


•^7    T'^tT'^.': V^TJ  *^r-^;w:5^77^^T!f!v»??SjP5wr:i^_73r^r'"'  'r^ 


j 


428 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


buUaris,  of  Virginia,  also  often  called  "  Roach  "  or  "  Dace,"  is  abundant 
in  the  Eastern  and   Middle  States  east  of  the  AUeghanies.     It  reaches  a 

/Ml 


THK  EASTKRV  DACE-SEMOTII.US  CORPORALIS. 

length  of  eighteen  inches,  being  the  largest  of  the  Cyprinidoe  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 


THE  FALL-FISH— SEMOTILUS  BULLARIS. 

It  is  very  common  in  the  Delaware  Basin,  more  so,  perhaps,  in  the 
Susquehanna,  but  a  common  form  in  the  head  waters  of  the  Atlantic-flow- 
ing streams  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas.  Hallock  says  that  it  has  been 
caught  weighing  four  i)ounds,  that  it  is  much  esteemed  as  food,  and  affords 
good  sport  for  the  angler.  I  have  myself  taken  them  with  light  tackle  and 
fomid  them  as  gamy  as  brook  trout  in  preserved  streams.  In  ]\Iassachu- 
sctts  it  is  often  called  the  "  Cousin  Trout"  in  allu'.ion  to  its  trout-like 
habits,  and  also  the  "  Chiven  "  from  its  resemblance  to  the  English  Chub 
or  Cheven. 

The  mention  of  the  American  "Roach  "  brings  us  to  the  consideration 
of  the  Old  World  species,  which  it  much  resembles  in  habits.     This  is 


CARP,  DACE  AND  MINNOW 


429 


Leuciscu-,    riitilus,    the    Plotze   of  the   Germans,    and    the   Rosse  of  the 
French. 


•XWV.  KUROPKAX  UOACII  OB  RKD  DArH, 

"The  Roach,"  said  Piscator,  "  is  a  fish  of  no  great  reputation  for  his 
dainty  taste  ;  and  his  spawn  is  accounted  much  better  than  any  part  of 
him.  And  you  may  take  notice,  that  as  the  Carp  is  accounted  the  water- 
fox  for  his  cunning,  so  the  Iltxich  is  accounted  the  water-sheep  for  his 
simplicity  or  foolishness." 

It  has,  however,  gained  in  ])opularity  in  England  since  the  days  of 
Walton.  "The  Book  of  the  Roach,"  by  Greville  Fennell,  is  one  of  the 
standard  works,  and  William  Senior  ("Red-spinner")  has  written  an 
essay  upon  "  Roach-fishing  as  a  Fine  Art,"*  which  is  commended  to  all 
who  go-a-fishing  for  cyi)rinoids  in  American  waters,  for  the  methods 
described  by  him  will  apply  to  many  of  our  fishes. 

Senior  thinks  that  Roach-fishing  reiiuires  special  qualifications  of  mind 
and  heart.  "lam  ac(iuainted,"  writes  he,  "with  many  rich  and  poor, 
learned  and  ignorant,  somebodies  and  nobodies,  who  have  a  passionate 
attachment  for  the  pursuit.  The  higher  kinds  of  rod-and-line  work  have 
no  joys  for  them,  (iive  them  their  camp-stool  and  Roach  rod  over  the 
dark  waters  that  move    slowly  above  a  clear  bed,  and  they  ask  no  more." 

The  "  Rudd  or  Red-eye"  of  England,  ScanUiiius  erytlirophtiialmiis,  the 
Rothauge  or  Rotengle,  is  a  rather  important  fish,  resembling  the  Roach 
in  its  habits,  and  used  by  English  pond  culturists  to  stock  new-made 
waters  with  bait  for  pike,  and  by  those  of  Germany  in  feeding  trout 
and  pike  perch. 

*  See  "The  B.idmintoii  Library,"  p.  343. 


i 

I 


ii 


i 


43° 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  Bream  is  higlily  i)rized  by  many  European  anglers,  but  is  perhaps 
less  in  favor  than  it  was  two  hundred  years  ago,  when  this  proverb  was 
current  :  "  Qui  a  breme,  pcut  bramer  ses  amis,"  or  as  Walton  translated  it, 
missing  the  pun  :    "  He  that  hath  bream  in  his  pond  may  bid  his  friend 


THE  KUKOPKAN  IIRKAM.     ABKAMIS  DRAMA. 


welcome."  In  Chaucer's  day  the  Bream  was  apparently  cultivated  in  ponds 
in  England,  but  now  is  somewhat  neglected,  even  by  anglers,  though 
Wheeldon  devotes  a  chapter  to  Bream  fishing  in  his  "  Practical  Lessons  in 
the  Gentle  Art."  In  Germany  the  Brasse  is  in  high  favor,  and  is  l)y 
some  preferred  to  the  Carp,  especially  for  winter  eating.*  Great  quanti- 
ties are  brought  to  the  markets. 

The  American  Bream,  or  Golden  Shiner,  Noteviigonns  clirysolcucus,  is  a 
better  fish  than  its  English  namesake,  and  as  an  angler's  fish,  more  like 
the  Roach.  It  is  in  fact,  often  called  Roach  and  Shiner  in  the  Middle 
and  Eastern  States,  Dakota  and  Texas,  while  an  allied  species,  N'.  amcri- 
canus,  inhabits  the  rivers  of  the  South  Atlantic  States,  and  others  occur 
in  limited  areas  elsewhere. 

N.  chrysolcucits  abounds  in  most  rivers  east  of  the  Great  Plains,  fre- 
quenting ponds,  bayous,  canals  and  ditches,  and  is  the  most  abundant  of 
all  cyprinoids  in  the  tide-water  region,  preferring  waters  in  which  the  bot- 
tom is  covered  with  acpiatic  plants.  It  reaches  the  length  of  nearly  a  foot, 
and  the  weight  of  a  pound  and  a  half,  and  is  sometimes  brought  to  mar- 
To  Cook  Bream. — Cleanse  him  and  lay  him  in  salt  .ind  water  one  hour  ;  stuff  with  a  rich  veal  stuffing,  and 
bake  him- --plentifully  anointed  with  j;"oU  butter— in  a  slow  oven,  until  the  meat  comes  off  easily  from  the 
bones.     Serve  hiin  up,  hoi  and  hot,  with  cayenne  pepper  and  lemon  juice. — Wheeldun. 


t 

•'■ 

-■— ^ 

CARP,  DA  CE  AXD 

MINNOW. 

431 

ket,  though  usually  consumed  by 
fish,  it  is  by  no  means  despicabb: 
black-bass  or  flounder. 

its  c'lptors. 
,  and  to  my 

•4 

When  eaten 
own   taste, 

as 

.'sh 
j.a 

as  a  pan- 
latable  as 

TlIK  AMi:i(ICAN"  IIKKA.M. 


The  early  American  angling  authorities  prized  this  fish  more  than  those 
of  to-day.     Brown  bursts  into  rhyme  when  he  speaks  of  it : 

"  A  capricious  little  fish 

Tliat  swims  in  pond  and  stream, 
And  a  dainty  on  the  dish 

i  the  cautious,  cunning  Bream." 

"Being  possessed,"  he  continues,  in  a  very  sober  vein  "of  a  large 
amount  of  caution,  they  require  all  the  skill  and  patience  of  the  angler 
and  the  finest  kind  of  tackle.  A  trout  fish  rod  with  a  fine  line  and  a 
good-sized  rout  hook  baited  with  a  grub  angle-worm,  cricket  or  grass- 
hopper, if  cautiously  used,  will  generally  tempt  him  from  his  element. 
He  is  good  on  the  platter." 

Scott  and  Norris  also  approve  its  claims  to  consideration  as  a  game  fish, 
and  it  is  said  by  those  who  know,  to  rise  readily  to  an  artificial  (ly. 

The  'ShxwQr,  Miiifiiliis  ox  Li/xi/iis  cornutus,  also  called  '"Red-fin"  or 
"  Red  Dace,"  abounds  in  all  streams  from  New  England  to  Kansas  and 
Alabama,  being  in  most  waters  more  numerous  than  any  other  species.  In 
clear,  cool  lakes  it  is  often  found  in  great  schools.  At  the  mouths  of  small 
rivers  in  Lake  Michigan  hundreds  of  them  can  be  taken  in  a  short  time  on 
a  small  hook  baited  with  worms  or  flies.     This  species  reaches  a  length  of 


i 


i 


V 


V. 


432 


AMERICAN  FISHES, 


about  ten  inches.  It  assists  to  swell  the  urchin's  string,  but  has  no  tangi- 
ble importance  as  a  foocl-fish.  Its  llesh  spoils  very  ([uickly  after  the  fish 
is  taken  from  the  water,  hence  the  name  "  Rot-gut  Minnow,"  applied  to  it 
in  Alabama.  A  large  part  of  the  food  of  the  black  bass,  trout  and  other 
predatory  fish  is  contributed  by  the  Shiner  and  l)y  its  numerous  congeners. 

Miiinuliis  ruhricroccus,  a  species  inhabiting  the  headwaters  of  the 
Tennessee  and  Savannah  Rivers  is  a  very  lovely  species  found  by  Cope  and 
Jordan  in  rock  brooks  at  the  foot  of  cascades — a  species  well  adapted  for 
accjuarium  culture  in  the  north. 

AUmnius  the  Bleak,  Ablette  or  Uckelei  of  Europe,  called  l)y 
Walton  the  "  fresh-water  sprat,"  is  represented  in  America  by  two  species 
of  the  genus  RicJianisonius,  which  occurs  in  the  Columbia  River  and  north- 
ward. The  Bleak  is  chiefly  of  interest  as  the  source  of  the  pearly  matter, 
or  Essence  iV  Orient,  which  is  i)repared  from  its  scales  and  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  false  pearls.  In  Pomerania  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds 
of  Uchelei  yield  about  two  antl  one-fifth  pounds  of  scales,  worth  about 
three  dollars  in  commerce.  In  other  words,  10,000  fish  are  destroyed  to 
make  one  pound  of  pearl  material.  Is  not  this  worse  than  killing  birds  for 
feathers?  This  industry  has  been  carried  on  in  France  for  over  two  hun- 
dred years.  The  product  of  the  Moselle  in  1S60  was  worth  5,000  francs. 
The  scales  of  the  Roach  and  Dace  are  also  used. 


TIIR  HARBEL  OP  EUnOPE. 

The  Barbel  is  somewhat  like  our  Tarpum,  since  it  is  pursued  by  fisher- 
men and  caught  chiefly  for  the  pleasure  of  catching  it. 

"This  fish,"  says  Walton,''  is  of  a  fine  cast  and  handsome  shape,  with 
small  scales,  which  are  placed  after  a  most  exact  and  curious  manner,  and, 
as  I  told  you,  may  be  rather  said  not  to  be  ill  than  to  be  good  meat ;  the 


CAR1\  D^ICE  AND  MINNOW 


433 


chub  and  he,  have,  I  think,  both  lost  part  of  their  credit  by  ill  cookery, 
they  being  reputed  the  worst  or  coarsest  of  fresh-water  fish.  But  the  barljtl 
affords  an  angler  choice  port,  being  a  lusty  and  a  c  unning  fish — so  lusty 
and  cunning  as  to  endanger  the  breaking  of  the  angler's  line,  by  running 
his  head  forcibly  towards  any  covert  or  hole  or  bank,  and  then  striking  at 
the  line,  to  break  it  off  with  his  tail,  as  is  observeil  bv  Plutarch  in  his  book 
"  De  Industrial  Animaliuni,"  and  also  so  cunning,  t(j  nibble  and  suck  off 
your  worm  close  to  the  hook,  and  yet  avoid  letting  the  hook  ( oiue  into  his 
mouth." 

The  Barbel,  Barlnis  fluviatilis,  the  Barbe  of  Clermany,  the  Barbeauof 
France,  has  no  representative  in  America,  though  Giinther  rec  ognizes 
over  two  hundred  species  in  the  trojucal  and  temperate  parts  of  the  Old 
World,  some  of  which  are  of  considerable  economic  importanie.  The 
'•Mahaseer,"  Barbus  tor,  which  inhabits  the  mountain  streams  of  India, 
attains  sometimes  the  weight  of  one  hundred  pounds  and  the  length  of  six 
feet,  and  has  scales  as  large  as  the  i)alm  of  a  man's  hand.  It  is  the  largest 
of  all  cyprinoids  and  its  introduction  into  the  United  States  miglit  be 
advantageous,  since  when  under  twenty  pounds  in  weight  this  and  other 
Indian  forms  are  said  to  be  excellent  food. 

The  English  Barbel  is  one  of  the  coarsest  of  their  ''  coarse  fish,"  and  is 
not  needed  in  America.  It  is,  however,  quite  as  highly  esteemed  in  I'lng- 
land  as  our  chubs  and  suckers  are  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Its  habits 
are  indeed  not  unlike  those  of  our  suckers  or  catostomoid  fislies,  and  the 
methods  of  Barbel  angling  may  yet  be  adopted  in  America  for  the  fishes 
of  this  group.  From  the  angler's  standpoint,  also,  the  Barbel  is  perhaps 
more  like  our  "suckers"  or  Catostomiihc  than  any  other  ICuropean 
species.  The  Catosiomid(C  are,  however,  not  represented  in  the  Old 
World,  although  they  are  so  numerous  in  North  America  that  no  stream 
or  river  is  without  them. 

The  suckers,  like  the  American  representatives  of  the  carp  family, 
have  suffered  unjustly  at  the  hands  of  Prof.  Jordan,  who  is  the  principal 
authority  as  to  their  scientific  affinities,  and  who,  in  the  midst  of  his  dis- 
cussions of  fin-formulai  and  pharyngeals,  never  loses  an  opportunity  to 
denounce  them  as  unfit  to  eat.  I  can  only  account  for  his  hatred  of  these 
fishes  by  the  fact  that  he  has  handled  so  many  thousands  of  specimens 
badly  kept  in  alcohol,  that  he  has  acquired  a  loathing  for  them  in  any  con- 
dition.    Conceding  to  him    a  thorough  knowledge  of   cyprinology    and 


\ 


■f    il 


28 


434 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


catostonioloyy,  I  iinpcach  him  as  a  gastronomist.  If  he  ever  is  a  can- 
(litlatc  for  election  to  the  Iilitliyophagous  Chib,  I  hope  I  may  have  the 
privilege  of  casting  a  black-ball.  He  does  not  know  what  fish  are  good 
to  eat,  or,  at  any  rate,  is  a  bigoted  disciple  of  the  Salmouidcc. 

For  the  benefit  of  our  river  fishermen  I  (piote  two  recipes  in  f:ivor  in 
I'higlund  for  i)reparing  the  drier  cyprinoids  for  table  use. 

"  After  being  scaled  and  cleaned,  they  should  be  cut  open  bke  haddocks, 
well  ])eppered  all  over,  and  then  a  good  handful  of  salt  rul)bed  in  ;  let 
them  lie  in  this  all  night.  In  the  morning  hang  them  up  in  the  sun  all 
day,  to  let  them  dry  ;  fry  them  in  the  evening,  with  as  little  lard  or  butter 
as  practicable,  and  eat  them  cold  for  breakfast.  If  you  try  it,  I  think  you 
will  say  they  are  an  excellent  relish  for  breakfast,  and  nearly  as  good  as 
ancho\  ies.  The  secret  lies  in  well  drying  them  in  the  sun,  and  eating 
them  cold. 

"  Although  the  Chub  is  generally  a  much  despised  fish,  he  is  capable  dur- 
ing the  days  of  winter,  the  collier  and  more  frosty  the  weather  the  better, 
of  being  elevated  to  a  dish  by  no  means  despicable.  At  ailinner  recently 
1  was  'helped  twice'  from  t^  plat  of  this  fish,  not  knowing  what  it  was 
composed  of.  and  being  induced  by  its  delicious  flavor  to  commit  this 
solecism.  When  told  that  I  had  been  regaling  so  earnestly  upon  chub 
from  a  neighboring  stream,  and  expressing  my  desire  for  the  recipe, 
my  hostess  very  kindly  upon  my  (putting  gave  me  the  following, 
telling  me  at  the  same  time,  she  had  received  it  while  residing  in 
Italy,  from  a  Jewish  family:  'Take  four  or  five  large  onions,  l)oil  them 
until  they  give  to  the  pressure  of  the  spoon,  slice  them:  take  the  back 
bone  out  of  the  fish,  and  cut  it,  if  large,  into  pieces  of  3  inches  or  4  inches  ; 
strew  ecpudly  over  tiie  bottom  of  a  stew-pan  a  little  ginger  in  powder,  salt 
and  i)ei)per  ;  place  the  fish  on  these,  and  almost  cover  the  fish  with  fresh 
water,  then  the  sliced  onions  over  all  ;  put  the  lid  on  close,  and  let  it  sim- 
mer gently  till  all  is  done.  While  this  is  ]iroceeding  beat  up  the  yolks  of 
four  eggs,  with  a  good  ([uantity  of  parsley  chopped  very  fine,  and  a  little 
of  the  liquor  from  the  stew-]ian,  and  while  it  is  amalgamating,  squeeze  the 
juice  from  two  lemons  into  it,  very  gradually,  or  the  juice  will  curdle  the 
eggs.  Take  u])  tiie  fish  with  the  onions  u])on  it  in  a  deep  dish,  and  ]iour 
the  mixture  over  it.'  I  ought  to  add  that  I  tasted  the  dish  again  Avhen 
cold  next  morning  at  breakfast,  and  that  it  had  lost  nothing  of  its  relish, 
and  I  do  not  think  that  many  who  sat  down  before  it  without  prejudice 
would  come  to  any  other  than  such  a  favorable  conclusion.  Perhaps 
vinegar  instead  of  lemon  might  chea]jen  the  dish,  but  as  the  recipe  is 
given,  it  may  be  classed  as  economical." 

The  common  "Brook  Sucker,"  Catostomiis  Commcrsoiii,  or  the  "  \\'hite 
Sucker,"  is  the  most  familiar  and  generally  abundant  of  the  grouj).     It 


CARP,  DACE  A\D  ML\NO\\\ 


435 


inhabits  all  bodios  of  water,  'ar^'t-  and  >niall.  from  New  lln^laiid  to  ( 'olo 
ratio.  In  tiic  great  lakes  it  reaches  a  leni,ah  of  two  fei't  or  more,  in  small 
brooks  it  is  mature  at  eii,dit  or  ten  in(  lies.  It  \aries  mii<  li  in  si/e,  (  olor 
and  form  in  the  different  streams.  It  bites  freely,  and  is  one  of  the  ti>hes 
with  whi(  h  the  unambitious  brook  angler  is  well  contented.  When  taken 
out  of  clear  water,  properly  cared  ft)r  and  well  washed,  it  is  an  excellent 
pan-fish,  like  most  of  its  kind. 


wm^y- 


■'!f* 


'>f 


TllK  lUtOOK  SUCKi;U-C.VT()ST(l\!r 


COM.MKItHDXI. 


All  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  an<l  the  I'acitlc  slojie. 
says  Jordan,  are  inhabited  by  species  of  this  genus,  or  of  the  allied 
genera  Chasmistcs  and  Pautostcits.  In  Utali  1,  ike.  saiil  to  be  the  "  greatest 
Sucker-jiond  in  the  world,"  are  found  Calostomiis  frcmuliis  and  arJiiis, 
Chasmistcs  Horns  and  PiVitostcus pliUyrliyiichns,  all  in  abundance.  \w  Lake 
Tahoe  Catostomiis  taliocitsis ;  in  tlie  Sacramento  C.  occidcntalis ;  in  the 
Columbia  C.  inacrocliilus :  in  Klamath  Lake  Chasmistcs  liixatiis  and  CJi. 
brcvirostris,  abound,  while  in  the  great  lakes  and  all  waters  thence  to 
Alaska  and  Arctic  Ocean  C  lon^^irostris  is  an  important  food-fish. 

The  "  Stone-roller,"  '•  Hog  Sucker."  "Stone  I'oter  "  or  "Hammer- 
head Sucker,"  Catostomiis  iii;:;ricai>s,  abounds  in  most  waters  from  the  great 
lakes  southward.  The  Stone-roller  is  extremely  abundant  in  every  run- 
ning stream  in  the  North  and  West,  wliere  its  singular,  almost  comical  fcjrm 
is  familiar  to  every  school-boy.  It  delights  in  rapids  and  shoals,  jjreferring 
cold  and  clear  water.  Its  powerful  pectorals  render  it  a  swifter  swimmer 
than  anv  other  of  its  family.  Its  habit  is  to  rest  motionless  on  the  bot- 
tom, where  its  mottled  colors  render  it  difficult  to  distinguish  from  the 
stones  among  which  it  lies.  When  disturbed  it  darts  away  very  quickly, 
after  the  manner  of  the  etheostomoids.      Tliev  often  ljo  in  small   schools. 


4;/j 


A}rFRrCAX  F/S/fES. 


I  have  never  found  this  fish  in  really  muchly  water.  Althongh  called  the 
"  Mud  Sucker"  in  tlie  brooks,  it  is  most  characteristically  a  fish  of  the 
running  streams.  This  species  reaches  a  length  of  about  two  feet,  and  is 
often  caught  in  its  spawning  season  by  means  of  a  spear  or  snare.  It  is, 
like   C.    (•omiiit'rsoiii,  a  '*  boy's  fish."  and  not  worth  the  eating. 

It  is  hardy  in  tlie  aiiuarium,  and  like  its  handsome  cousin,  Catostoinus 
>/n-/(t>io/>s,    tlie  Striped  Sucker  is  recommended  for  domestication  by  Cwjie. 

Tile  suckers  afford  si)ort  of  an  exciting  kintl  to  those  who  know  how  to 
capture  them  with  snares  of  horse-hair  or  fine  wire.  I  have  thus  caught 
them  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  where  this  metho(l  is  greatly  in  favor. 

Vast  quantities  are  taken  in  the  sluiceways  of  ilams,  and  by  spearing  by 
torch-light  or  "  weequashing." 


TUK  CUUB  SUCKKU-KRIMYZOM  SUCCKTTA. 

The  "Chub  Sucker,"  Erimyzon  succctta,  the  "Sweet  Sucker"  or 
"Creek-fish,"  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  and  wiilely  diffused  of  the 
Suckers,  being  found  from  Maine  to  Texas.  It  is  one  of  the  smallest 
species,  reaching  a  length  of  little  more  than  a  foot.  A  closely  related 
species  abounds  in  Florida,  where  it  was  first  collected  by  the  author,  and 
has  been  named  by  Jordan  Erimyzon  Goodci.  Hallock  says  that  the 
"  Chub-sucker"  is  often  called  the  "  Barbel." 

The  Black  Horse,  Cyclcpttis  clongatus,  also  called  "Missouri  Sucker," 
"Gourd-seed  Sucker,"  "  Suckerel"  and  "  Shoenaher  "  is  found  in  the 
river  channels  of  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.  It  reaches  a  considerable 
size,  weighing  sometimes  fifteen  pounds,  and  is  said  to  be  a  much  finer 


CARP,  DACE  AXD  MJXXOW, 


437 


fisli  in  llc^li  than  any  other  (if  its  family.      It  i^  ( ununon  in   the'  ritt>l)iirg 
market. 

The  (lifTorent  species  of  the  genus  Carpioilcs  abound  in  all  the  larger 
bodies  of  water  south  and  west  of  New  \drk  as  far  as  the  Rio  (Irande. 
'I'hey  rea<  h  a  weight  of  four  or  five  jiounds.  In  Virginia  and  elsewhere 
they  go  by  the  name  of  "  Carp,"  as  they  have  done  from  the  earliest  days 
of  the  English  o(  ( iijiation.  Though  fairly  eatable,  they  are  not  ecpial  to 
the  Carp,  and  are  less  prolific,  less  rapid  in  growth,  and  most  of  all, 
not  accustomed  to  domestication.  The  term  American  Car])  should  be 
abandoned,  and  when  characteristic  local  names  are  not  in  use,  the 
name  "Carp-siicker  "  is  recommended  for  atloption. 

Civpioiics  vclifcr,  the  "  Spear-fish,"  "Sail-fish,"  «' (^)uill-l)ack  "  or 
•"Skim-back"  of  the  Ohio  River,  is  a  fish  often  seen  in  the  markets. 

Carpiodt's  cypriniis,  the  "  Carj)  "  of  the  Susfpiehannah,  is  abundant 
eastof  the  Alleghanies  from  New  York  to  Alabama.  It  is  a  common  and 
acceptable  food-fish  in  Pennsylvania,  attaining  a  weight  of  two  or  three 
pounds.  It  is  the  "  Carp  "  that  is  abundant  in  the  Mattapony  and 
Pamunky  Rivers  in  Virginia. 

The  "  Red  Horses  "  belong  to  the  genus  Moxoshniia  ^x\d  the  related 
Mifiytrcma  and  Placopharynx,  and  usually  have  their  lower  fins  bright 
red.  They  are  useful  and  palatalde  food-fishes,  although  our  writers  have 
persistently  underrated  their  value. 

They  are  sirring  spawners,  and  when  dams  and  other  obstructions  do 
not  forbid  rim  up  to  the  head-waters  to  breed.  It  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance that  fish-ways  should  be  built  over  every  dam  on  the  continent, 
for  already  the  streams  have  been  drained,  not  only  of  the  game  fishes, 
local  and  anadromous,  but  of  most  of  the  hmnbler  forms,  which  suj)i)ly 
food  to  the  carnivorous  water-aristocrats,  and  render  trout  and  bass 
culture  possible. 

The  most  familiar  member  of  this  group  Is  the  "  Brook  Mullet," 
Aloxostoina  macrohpidotiim,  also  called  "Red  Horse"  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  elsewhere,  and  pretty  generally  distributed  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, except  in  Eastern  New  England.  The  form  Avhich  occurs  in  the 
Ohio  and  Missouri  has  a  larger  head  and  larger  mouth,  and  is  generally 
catalogued  as  a  variety  or  sub-species  Duqucstiii.  This  form  is  shown  in 
the  cut,  which  represents  a  specimen  from  Ecorse,  Michigan. 

The  eastern  form  occurs  in  the  Cieat   Lakes,  together  with  the  allied 


i  LI  I 


1!^ 


438 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


M.  aureolas,  and  is  common  in  the  markets.  Philadelphia  receives  a 
large  siipi)ly  from  the  Susquehanna  and  the  Delaware.  It  is  sometimes 
called  the  "Lake  Shad."  There  are  four  s])ecies  of  good  size  in  the 
Catawba  and  other  streams  of  the  Southern  AUeghanies.  The  !Mullets 
and  the   Red  Horses  sometimes  grow  to  the  weight  of  four  pounds. 


TITR  trKSTKUX  UED  HORSE. 

The  "Buffalo-fish,"  Bubalicthyvi',  so  called  from  the  bull-like  hump 
on  the  na]ie,  are  found  mainly  in  the  river  channels  of  the  Mississippi 
and  its  tributaries.  They  are  the  largest  of  the  Suckers,  reaching  a  weight 
of  fifteen  pounds  or  more.  In  the  Mi;  ■lissippi  and  Ohio  Valleys  they  form 
a  large  percentage  of  the  food-fish  consu iied.  They  usually  bring  a  better 
price  than  the  smaller  Suckers,  excepting  the  Black  Horse.  The  Buffalo- 
fishes  are  found  by  Prof.  Forbes  to  feed  on  small  crustaceans  more  than 
do  the  other  Suckers,  and  less  on  mollusks. 


TIIIC  nUFFALO  FISH. 


Icthyohus  bubalus,  is  abundant  in  the  larger  streams  of  the  Mississippi. 


CARP,  DACE  AXD  MINNOW. 


439 


Valley,  growing  to  a  weight  of  twenty  or  thirty  pounds  and  a  lengtli  of 
three  feet. 

Bubalichthys  iinis,  of  Agassiz,  occurs  in  the  same  waters,  and  is  called 
the  Big-mouth  Buffalo.  In  ihe  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Basins  it  is  used  very 
extensively  for  food,  and  grows  to  weigh  fifty  pounds  or  more. 

Bubalichtliys  alius,  which,  like  /.  Intbaltis,  is  a  small  moutli  species,  is 
distinguished  by  its  smaller  head  and  other  characteristics.  (See  Jordan's 
'*  Synopsis,"  p.  1 16.) 

The  name  "  Gaspergou  "  is  shared  by  these  fishes  with  the  fresh-water 
Drum. 

The  only  angling  book  which  tells  how  to  catch  Buffaloes  is  a  very  old 
one,  that  of  Brown.  A  bottom  line  of  good  strength  and  heavily  leaded 
is  used,  and  the  bait  prescribed  is  a  wad  of  soft  cheese  and  raw  cotton. 

The  "  Rabbit-mouth  Sucker,"  Quassilabia  laccra,  "Hare-lip,"  "Split- 
mouth"  or  "May-sucker"  is  found  in  abundance  in  many  rivers  of 
Tennessee  and  in  some  streams  in  Ohi(j.  It  reaches  a  length  of  about 
eighteen  inches,  being  one  of  the  smaller  species,  but  its  cpialities  as  a 
food-fish  are  said  to  be  better  than  usual  in  this  family. 

The  name  "  Sucker  "  has  acquired  a  special  and  by  no  means  c:omplete 
significance  in  the  colloquial  language  of  the  United  States,  being  api)lied 
to  worthless  fellows,  and  esjjecially  to  topers.  Tiie  allusion  is  doubtless 
to  the  slow,  greedy  habits  of  the  fishes  of  this  family. 


f 


440 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


THE  SALMONID^  IN  GENERAL. 


TN  Europe  there  is  but  one  Salmon,  but  in  this  country  they  are  many, 
and  in  a  book  on  American  Fishes  all  must  needs  be  mentioned.  Since 
the  characters  by  which  they  are  separated  are  rather  minute,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  employ  the   technical  language  of  ichthyology. 

The  family  Salmonido'.  includes  not  only  the  Salmons  and  Trouts,  but 
also  the  graylings,  smelts,  whitefishes,  capelins,  oulachans  and  certain 
other  less  familiar  forms.  The  most  prominent  characteristic  of  the  fishes 
of  this  group  is  the  little  fleshy  appendage  on  the  posterior  part  of  the 
back,  known  as  the  soft,  or  adipose  dorsal.  This  is  found  in  many  fishes 
belonging  not  to  the  SalmonidiV,  but  to  allied  groups,  but  none  of  these 
inhabit  our  coasts  or  inland  waters,  except  the  Catfishes,  which  are  not 
likely  to  be  mistaken  for  members  of  the  salmon  tribe. 

The  following  table,  prepared  by  Dr.  Bean,  will  enable  any  one  to  de- 
termine at  once  to  which  genus  any  salmonoid  fish  belongs. 

THE  GENERA  OF  SALMONID.^. 


• 


[Key  prepared  by  Dr.  T.  H.  Bean.] 

A.     Pyloric  coeca  many  ;  stomach  siphoiial. 

<{.     Dentition  strong  and  complete ;  conical   teeth  in  jaws,  vomer,  and  palatines ;  scales  many  more  than 
loo  ;  largely  anadromous. 
b.     Anal  rays  g  to  ii. 
c.     Vomer  tlat,  its  toothed  surface  plane;  teeth  on  its  shaft  in  pairs  or  in  a  zigzag  row  ;  species  black- 
spotted.  Subgenus   Salmo.     (The  Sea  Salmon.) 
ci.     Sea-salmon,  anadromous. 

(id-     River-salmon,  not  an:;dromous.  Subgenus  Fakio.     (The  Salmon  Trouts.) 

cc.     Vomer  boat  shaped. 

('.     Vomer  with  a  raised  crest,  head  and  crest  both  toothed  ;  species  gray-spotted. 

Ckistivomku.     (The  Lake  Trouts.) 
ec.     Vomer    without   raised   crest,    its  shaft   stron.jly   depressed  ;  teeth  on   chevron    only: 
species  red  spotted.  Salvblinus.  (Tlie  lirook  Trouts  or  Charrs.j 

bh.    Anal  rays  1410  17.  Oncdkuvnchus.  (The  Pacific  Salmons. ) 

aa.    Jaws   toothless,  or  dentition  feeble  or  incomplete  ;  scales  little  exceeding  100  ;  not  anadromous. 
/.     Dorsal   fm   long  and   higii.  of  al)out  20  rays.  Thvmallus.  (The  Graylings.) 

Jf,     Dorsal  fui  not  elevated,  rays  about  10  to  13. 
.(,•■.     -Mouth  small ;  jaws  toothless,  or  with  a  lew  weak  teeth.  Coreoonus.  (The  Lake  White-fishes.) 

gg.     Mouth  large;  vomer,  palatines  and  tongue  with  bands  of  minute  villiform  teeth. 

Stenouus.    (The  Inconnu.) 
AA.     Pyloric  cceca  few  or  none  ;  stomach  coecal 

//.     l!rancliiostegals  0  to  8  ;  body  compressed. 

/,     MoiUh  large;  ventrals  in  front  of  middle  of  dorsal. 
k.     Pectoral  rays  16  to  10  :  scales  very  small :  males  with  strong  lateral  ridges  covered  by  modi- 
fied scales.  Mallotus.  (The  Capelins.) 
kk.     Pectoral  rays  10  to  i?  ;  scales  larger,  similar  in  both  se.xes. 
J.     Teeth  feeble,  especially  on   tongue,    scales  small,  adherent. 

Thaleichthys.    (The  Oulachans.) 
del.  Teeth  stronger,  lingual  teeth  enlarged  ;  scales  moderate,  deciduous.        Osmerls.  (The  Smelts.) 
/.     Mouth  moileratc  or  small :   ventrals  under  or  behind  middle  of  dorsal. 
//.     Jaws  with  minute  teeth  ;  ma.\iUary  reaching  past  front  of  eye.  Hvi'OMESUS.  (The  Surf-Smelts.) 


I)y  modi- 
lipcliiis.) 


lachans.) 
jSmclts.) 

ISiiieUsJ 


3 
5 


a 
a 
o 


1) 

er 
o 

o 
1 

p 

e 


in 
> 


m 
> 


O 


iU 


Nil 


I    I 


SALMO  SALAK. 


THE  SALMON. 


Nee  te  puniceo  rutllantem  viscere,  Salmo 
Transieriin,  lata;  cujiis  vaga  verl)era  cauda; 
Giirgite  ile  medio  siimmas  refeniiitur  in  undas, 
Occultus  jilacido  cum  proditiir  ;i;quore  pulsus, 
Tu  loricato  siiuamosus  pectorc,  frmitem 
Lubricus  ct  dul)ia;  facturus  fercula  ciL-nai 
Tempora  longarum  fcrs  iucorrupta  morarum, 
Pr.-usiguis  macidis  rapilis,  cui  jirodiga  nutat 
Alvus,  opimatuiiue  llueus  abdomiue  venter.    * 

AusoNius  :    TIw  Moselii',  97-105. 


44  TN  the  countrey  of  Acjuitaine  or  Ciuicnnc  in  FrauiK  c,  tlie  River  Sal- 
mon passeth  all  other  sea  fishes  whatsoever. ' '  So  wrote  I'liny  eiij;hteen 
hundred  years  ago,  and  his  was  the  first  allusion  in  literature  to  Sa/i/io 
salar.  Hundreds  of  members  of  the  family  are  iidw  known  to  science, 
but  this  one  si)ecies  still  stands  ])reeminent,  like  a  Highland  chieftain, 
needing  no  name  save  that  of  his  clan.  The  Salmon  streams  of  ancient 
Britain  and  Gaul  were  known  to  the  Romans,  who  aj)i)reciated  fully  the 
worth  of  their  scaled  treasures,  and  our  early  British  ancestors  were  e(iually 
familiar  Avith  the  Salmon,  as  we  know  from  the  Saxon  names  which  were 
applied  to  it,  many  of  which  still  survive  both  in  l-".ngland  and  America — 
parr,  peal,  penk,  smolt,  grilse,  kipper,  bagget,  and  a  dozen  more.  The 
reader  will  recall  Walter  Scott's  generalization,  that  while  our  names  for 
animals  as  served  upon  the  table, — beef,  veal,  mutton,  ])ork. — are  of  Nor- 
man origin,  the  names  of  the  animals  themselves  are  still  those  by  which  they 

*"  Nor  will  I  pass  thee,  O  Salmon,  blushing  with  thy  red  flesh,  the  roving  strokes  of  whose  broad  tail  are 
home  from  the  middle  of  the  stream  to  the  top  of  the  water,  at  such  time  as  the  hidden  lash  betrays  itself  on 
the  cah  •  surface.  Now,  clothed  in  scaly  armor,  slippery  as  to  thy  fore  part,  and  alile  to  constitute  a  remove 
for  a  most  e.xcelle rt  dinner,  dost  bear  keepiui;  fresh  for  a  long  lime  :  thou  art  conspicuous  with  thy  spotted 
head  ;  thy  full  Ouunch  trembles,  and  thy  belly  overflows  with  abdominal  fat."  Literal  translation  by 
Houghton . 


I  li 


1 


442 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


m 


were  known  to  the  ICnglish,  who  after  the  con(Hiest  became  their  keepers. 
In  a  simihir  way,  the  word  Sahnon,  the  name  of  the  adult  fish  reaily  for 
the  l)an(|uet,  was  brouL^ht  in  by  the  Norman  invaders.  The  Magna  Cliarta 
recogni/cd  i)roperty  riglits  in  Sabnon-fisheries,  and  protective  laws  have 
been  enforced  in  llngland  for  at  least  six  centuries. 

How  did  the  Salmon  get  its  name?  Fuller  in  his  "Worthies,"  says, 
"  from  its  strange  lea])ing  (or  flying  rather)  so  that  some  will  have  theirs 
termed  sa/iiioiii's  a  sa/icndo,''  and  later  etymologists  have  found  no  better 
tlieory.  Skeat  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  die  inlroducticjn  of  the  /  is 
due  to  our  knowledge  of  the  Latin  form,  since  we  do  not  pronounce  it. 
The  Middle  English  name  was  Siv/iiion/i,  very  close  to  the  Old  French 
Sdiiiii'Ui.  S<r/m  is  the  German  version  and  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
Moselle  is  called  the  River  Salm. 

There  are  other  names  by  the  score  used  in  Kurope,  but  scarcely  known 
in  this  country,  where  Salmon  and  (irilsc  are  the  only  titles  in  common 
use.  A  (irilse  is  a  Salmon  of  less  than  five  pounds  weight  on  its  first 
return  from  the  sea. 

"Cirilse"  is  believeil  by  Houghton  to  be  a  corruption  of  the  Swedish 
i^n7(-/ax  or  ''gray  lax,"  /.  c.  a  gray  salmon. 

The  Salmon  inhabits  the  North  Atlantic  and  its  tributary  waters.  No 
one  knows  how  far  beyond  the  arctic  circle  it  ranges,  though  its  occurrence 
in  northern  Scandinavia,  Iceland,  (Greenland,  and  middle  Labrador  is 
well  established.  It  occurs  in  all  parts  of  northwestern  Em-ope,  and  is 
esi)ecially  abunilant  in  the  British  Islands,  and  is  more  or  less  plenty  in 
France,  Belgium,  Holland  and  Prussia,  entering  the  Baltic, — according  to 
some  authorities,  the  White  Sea. — and  ascendingthe  Rhine  as  far  as  Basle. 
The  southern  limit  of  range  is  in  Cnilicia,  the  most  northern  province  of 
Sjxiin,  in  latitude  43°.  "  There  is  a  river  in  Macedon,"  says  Fluellen,  in 
King  Henry  the  Fifth,  "and  there  is  also  a  river  in  Monmouth  ;  it  is 
called  Wye  at  Monmouth  ;  but  it  is  out  of  my  brains  what  is  the  name  of 
the  other  ;  but  't  is  all  one,  't  is  alike  as  my  fingers  is  to  my  fingers,  and 
there  is  salmons  in  both."  Fluellen  was  wrong,  and  so  was  Shakespeare, 
if  he  shared  the  belief  of  his  hero,  for  there  are  no  Salmon  in  any  portion 
of  the  Mediterranean  basin. 

On  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  the  species  ranges  more  to  the  southward. 
The  Connecticut  Kiver  once  teemed  with  them,  and  stragglers  have  been 
captured   in   the    Housatonic   and   the   Hudson.      The   southern   limit  is 


THE  SALMOX. 


443 


marked  apjoroximatcly  by  hit.  40':;;°.  l)ut  they  may  l)e  reijanled  as  ]iartuilly 
acclimated,  through  the  efforts  of  the  Fish  Commission,  in  the  Delaware 
and  in  the  Siistiuehanna,  which  flows  into  the  Atlantic  in  lat.  37°,  and 
individuals  have  even  been  taken  in  the  Potomac  and  in  North  Carolina. 
The  Merrimac  river  was  once  full  c-,f  these  fish,  and  there  are  Salmon 
streams  in  Maine.  New  Brunswick,  Nova  Scotia,  Newfoundland,  Canada, 
and  Labrador.  They  occur  in  all  the  tributaries  of  the  St.  I.awrenc  e  to 
Niagara  Falls,  and  probably  are  found  in  Fludson's  ]>ay  and  on  the  arc  tic 
coast  of  the  continent. 

Wonderful  things  are  said  about  their  abundance  in  colonial  duvs. 
Every  one  has  heard  of  the  epicurean  ai)])rentices  of  Connecticut  who 
would  eat  Salmon  no  oftener  tlian  twice  in  the  week.  '•  The  shad,  bass, 
and  Salmon  more  than  half  support  the  province.  From  the  number  of 
seines  employed  to  catch  the  fish  passing  up  the  locks  one  might  be  led  to 
supijose  that  the  whole  must  be  stopped,  yet  in  six  months'  time  they 
return  to  the  sea  w  ith  such  multitudes  of  young  ones  as  to  fill  the  Connecti- 
cut River  for  many  days,  and  no  finite  l)eing  can  number  them."  These 
are  the  words  of  Peters  in  1783,  in  his  "  History  of  Connecticut." 

Like  many  other  good  ones,  this  tale  seems  to  be  jjrehistoric,  and  was 
doubtless  told  of  some  other  fish  in  the  times  when  our  Aryan  ancestors 
dwelt  on  the  plains  of  Central  Asia.  You  may  find  it  in  F'uUer's 
"  Worthies  of  Fjigland,"  where  it  has  the  archaic  and  indefinite  llavor 
which  is  so  evident  now,  two  centuries  later.  "  Plenty  of  them  in  this 
country,"  wrote  F'uller,  "  though  not  in  such  abundance  as  in  Scotland, 
where  servants  (they  say  i  indent  with  their  masters  not  to  be  fed  therewi'li 
above  twice  a  week." 

Day  has  pointed  out,  the  frec[uent  eating  of  Salmon,  and  especially  cf 
kelts  was  thought  conducive  to  leprosy  which  after  the  Crusades  in  the 
Middle  Ages,  was  a  formidable  disease  in  V^urojje.  Capt.  Franks  writing 
of  Stirling  in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  remarked  that  "the  burgomasiers,  as 
in  many  parts  of  Scotland,  are  compelled  to  reinforce  an  auc  ieiit  ^t;.tute 
that  commands  all  masters,  and  others  not  to  force  or  compel  any  servant  or 
apprentice  to  fe-'d  upon  Salmon  more  than  once  a  week.' 

Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  and  Maine  haAe  many  Salmon  ri\ers  ; 
New  Hamj)shire,  ^Llssachusetts  and  Connecticut,  a  lew  \ery  good  ones. 
The  nrcural  limit  of  the  southward  range  of  the  Salmon  apjjears  to  be  in 
lat.  41°,  near  the   Connecticut   River,   where   they   were   once   extremely 


.:| 


444 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


V^'-\ 


!  \m 


abundant,  but  many  stragglers  have  been  taken  in  the  Housatonic  and 
Hudson.  Much  effort  has  been  put  fortli  in  trying  to  prove  that  the  Sahnon, 
of  which  Hendrick  Hudson  saw  "great  store"  in  1609,  when  sailing  up 
the  river  which  bears  his  name,  were  weak-fish,  or  some  ctpially  remote 
species.  Surely  weak-fish  do  not  go  uj)  the  river  to  the  Highlands.  Sal- 
mon nave  from  time  to  time  been  seen  in  the  Delaware,  it  is  said,  and,  if 
this  be  true,  it  renders  the  story  of  Hudson  still  more  credible. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  one  hundred  years  ago  the  Salmon  fishery 
was  an  important  industry  in  Southern  New  England.  Many  Connecti- 
cut people  remember  hearing  their  grandfathers  say  that  when  they  went 
to  the  river  to  buy  shad,  the  fishermen  used  to  stipulate  that  they  should 
also  buy  a  specified  number  of  Salmon.  There  is  a  tradition  of  a  farmer's 
wife  in  New  Hampshire  who  used  to  spear  Salmon  with  a  pitchfork  to  j^ro- 
vide  food  for  the  farm  hands.  At  the  beginning  of  this  century  they 
began  rapidly  to  diminish.  Mitchill  stated,  in  1814,  that  in  former  days 
the  supply  to  the  New  York  market  usually  came  from  Connecticut  River, 
but  of  late  years  from  the  Kennebec,  covered  with  ice.  Rev.  David 
Dudley  Field,  writing  in  18 19,  stated  that  Salmon  had  scarcely  been  seen 
in  the  Connecticut  for  fifteen  or  twenty  years.  The  circumstances  of  their 
extermination  in  the  Connecticut  are  well  known,  and  the  same  story, 
names  and  date  changed,  serves  equally  well  for  other  rivers. 

In  1798  a  corporation,  known  as  the  "  Upper  Locks  and  Canals  Com- 
pany," built  a  dam,  sixteen  feet  high,  at  Miller's  River,  one  hundred  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Connecticut.  For  two  or  three  years  fish  were 
observed  in  great  abundance  below  the  dam,  and  for  perhaps  ten  years 
they  continued  to  appear,  vainly  striving  to  reach  their  spawning  grounds  ; 
but  soon  the  work  of  extermination  was  complete.  When,  in  1872,  a 
solitary  Salmon  made  its  appearance,  the  Saybrook  fishermen  could  not 
give  it  a  name. 

In  1878,  at  least  five  hundred  large  fish  Avere  caught  in  these  wates,  the 
direct  result  of  the  labors  of  the  State  commissioners  of  fisheries  in  1874. 
This  story  of  destruction,  with  a  change  of  names  and  dates,  may  be 
repeated  for  the  Merrimac  and  many  other  rivers.  Mr.  C.  G.  Atkins 
recorded,  in  1872,  twenty-eight  Salmon  rivers  lying  wholly  or  in  part  in 
the  United  States,  in  only  eight  of  which  Salmon  were  at  that  time  regular 
visitors.  The  story  of  restoration  will,  it  is  hoped,  soon  be  applicable  to 
these,  and  j)erhaps  to  others  to  which  the  species  is   not  native.       Thack- 


THE  SALMON. 


445 


eray,  in  "  Tlv;  Vi'-^inians,"  made  (Icorgc  MsiudikI  (  laini  Salninn.  shad, 
and  rock-fish  a.i-ong  the  game  creatures  of  Westmorehuul  (oiinty,  Va.,  and 
nearly  i)ermitted  him  to  profane  Madame  I'lsmond's  hospitable  mansion  by 
(juarrelling  over  the  matter  with   young   Colonel    Washington,    her  guest. 

Was  the  great  novelist  a  jirophet  ?  In  May.  i.SyS,  several  fine  Sal- 
mon were  taken  in  the  Suscpiehanna,  after  having  coasted  along  more  than 
one  hundred  miles  of  the  Old  Dominion  shore. 

At  least   half  of  the   Salmon's   life  is  spent  in  the  o(  ean.      "  He  is  ever 
bred   in   the  fresh  rivers,"  said  ^Valton,  '•  and  never  grows  big  but  in  tlie 
si'a."      "  He  has  (like  some  j)ersons  of  honor  and  riches,  which  ha\e  both 
their  winter  and   summer  houses)  this  fresh  water  for  summer  and  the  salt 
water   for  winter  to  spend   his  life   in."      Most  of  his  tribe,  however,  are 
peculiarly  fresh-water    fishes,  though   several  sliare  his  sea-dwelling  habit, 
and   others,  like  the  Brook  trout,    descend  into  salt  water,  wlien  not  i)re- 
vented  by  barriers  of  temperature.     All  of  the   famil\-  run   into  \ery  shoal 
water,  and  usually  to  the  sources  of  streams,  to  deposit  tiieir  eggs,  and  all 
of  them  seek  food  and  cool  tem])eratures  in  tlie  largest  and  deepest  bodies 
of  water  accessible.      I  am  inclined  to  the  view  that  the  natural  habitat  of 
the  Salmon  is  in  the  fresh  waters,  the  more  so  since  there  are  so  many  in- 
stances— such  as  that  of  the  Stormontfield  I'onds  in  England — where  it  has 
been  confined  for  years  in  lakes  without  api)arent  detriment.     'I'he  "  Land- 
locked "    or   "  Fresh-water"    Salmon,  known  also  in  the  Saguenay  region 
as  ''  Winninish,"    in  the  Shubenacadie   and  other  rivers  of  Western  No\a 
Scotia  as  the  "  Crayling."  and    in  different  parts  of  Maine  as  "  Sc  hooilic 
Trout."  "  Sebago  Trout,"  or  '•  Dwarf  Salmon,"  probably  never  \  isit  salt 
water,  finding  ample  food   and  exercise  in  the  lakes  and  large  ri\ers.      In 
certain  regions  in  Maine  and  New  l^runswick  their  access  to  salt  water  is  cut 
off  by  dams, and  some  investigators  have  claimed  that  Land-locked  Salmon 
did  not  exist  there  until  these  obstructions  were  built,  some  fifty  years  ago. 
This  hypothesis,  however,  is  not  necessary,  for  in  the  Saguenay  the  \\'inni- 
nish  has    easy,   unobstructed  access  to  the  sea.     The  Salmon  of  Lake  On- 
tario  and  its  tributaries  are  not  thought  to  enter  salt  water,  and  there  are 
similar  instances  of  land-locking  in  the  lakes  of  Northern  Sweden.      In 
the   Maine  lakes  Salmon   feed   on   minnows  and  other  small  fishes.     Tlie 
Salmon  while  it   remains  in  the  sea  or  in  the  brackish  estuaries  takes  par- 
ticular delight   in  feeding  on  crustaceans  and    their  eggs,  small  shrimi)S, 
and  young  crabs.      When  in  the  rivers  they  eat  but  little,  though  they  are 


44^> 


AMERICA X  FTsrrr.s. 


at  times  eager  enoiigli  for  food,  as  is  slK)\vn  by  tlieir  eager  ruslies  at  the 
angler's  lly-hook.  'I'lie  absenteeism  of  the  Sahnon  is  (hie  principally  to 
the  dearth  of  ilesirable  food  in  the  rivers.  '1  iie  young  fisli  stay  in  fresh 
water  tor  one,  or  fretpiently,  two  years.  When  they  pass  down  to  the  sea 
they  weigh  hut  a  few  oimces.  They  find  congenial  food  and  begin  to  grow 
rapidly.  'i"he  broad  world  of  ocean  affords  them  new  opportunities  for 
ailveiiture  and  self-advancement,  and  it  is  only  when  suni'"'"jned  by  the 
duties  of  family  life  that  they  return  within  the  narrow  limits  of  the  old 
home,  ^\'hen  Salmon  live  in  the  lakes  they  jirey  upon  minnows  and  other 
small  fishes,  but  those  of  the  sea  delight  also  in  small  crustaceans  and  their 
eggs,  to  which  they  owe  the  vivid  color  of  their  flesh.  The  habits  of 
successive  generations  become  hereditary  traits,  and  the  differences  in  their 
life-histories  seem  to  justify  the  claim  of  the  Land-locked  Salmon  to  be 
regarded  as  a  \ariety  of  Salino  sa/ar,  though  it  is  hardly  to  be  disting- 
uished except  by  its  lesser  size  and  some  slight  peculiarities  in  coloration. 
It  has  been  designated  Saliiio  sa/cir,  variety  jvA?,i,v.*  Althougli  both 
originated  in  the  same  primitive  stock,  it  is  not  jirobable  that  one  changes 
to  the  other  except  after  many  generations,  under  the  inlluence  of  forced 
changes  in  their  environment. 

The  leaping  of  the  Salmon  is  one  of  the  most  marvellous  of  feats,  and 
has  been  the  theme  of  many  writers. 

"  Merc,  when  the  laliouring  fish  doth  at  the  foot  arrive, 
And  knows  tiiat  by  Iiis  strength  but  vainly  doth  he  strive, 
His  tail  takes  in  ills  teeth  ;  and  bending  like  a  bow 
Tliat's  to  the  compass  drawn,  aloft  himself  doth  throw  ; 
Then  springing  with  his  tail,  as  dotli  a  little  wand 
That  l)ended,  end  to  end.  and  flirted  from  tiie  iiand, 
Far  ofl' itself  doth  cast ;  so  doth  the  Salmon  vaut. 
And  if  at  first  he  fail,  his  second  somersaut 
He  instantly  assays,  and  from  his  nimble  ring 
Still  vesting,  never  leaves  until  himself  he  fling 
Above  the  streamful  top  of  the  surrounded  heaix" 

This  was  once  the  idea  of  the  mechanism  of  the  leap  of  the  Salmon. 
A  modern  English  writer  thus  describes  the  actual  feat  :  "  I  watched  the 
fish  vi-ith  a  raceglass  for  some  ten  minutes  before  disturbing  tliem.  There 
is  a  \ery  tleep  pool  at  the  point  where  the  waterfall  j(jins  the  lower  level 
of  the  water.      The    fish   came    out  of  this    ])ool  with    the   velocity   of  an 

*Sco  H.  II.  Tliompsuii's  essay  in  J'/ic  .lincn'caii  .liis^/cr,  \ ,  :i)6 


:  j  .;  ! 


THE  SA/..]fOX 


447 


arrow  :  llicy  gave  no  warnin.Lj  of  their  intentions.  Imt  no  tliey  canu'.  and 
darted  out  of  the  surfac  c  of  the  water  witli  a  sudden  riisli  like  rockets  let 
loose  troni  the  darkness  of  the  ni^dit  into  the  si)a(  e  alio\e.  When  they 
tirst  appeared  their  tails  were  ^n)ing  with  the  velocity  of  a  wat(hs)>rini,' 
just  broken,  and  the  whole  body,  sjiarklinj,^  as  thoui;h  they  had  been  en- 
ameled, was  ipiixering  with  the  exertion.  'I'hey  looked  as  nim  h  like  ll\  in;; 
lish  as  ever  1  saw  anything  in  my  life." 

Observations  have  recently  been  made  by  l>r.  A.  Landmark,  of  Xor- 
wav,  on  the  extent  of  Salmon  leaps.  He  thinks  that  the  jump  depends  as 
much  on  the  height  of  the  fall  as  on  the  currents  below  ii.  If  then'  be  a 
deep  pool  right  under  the  fall,  where  the  water  is  comparati\ely  (piiet.  a 
Salmon  may  jumj)  16  feet  perpendicularly  :  Init  such  jumps  are  rare,  and 
lie  can  only  state  that  it  has  taken  jilace  at  the  Hellefos.  in  the  Ihams 
River,  at  Haugsend.  where  two  great  masts  ha\e  been  phu  ed  across  the 
ri\er  for  the  study  of  the  habits  of  the  Salmon,  sf)  that  e.\a(  t  measure- 
ments may  be  effected.  The  height  of  the  water  in  the  river  of  course 
varies,  but  it  is.  as  a  rule,  when  the  Salmon  is  running  uii  stream.    16  feet 


he  low 


th 


ese  m 


asts.      'J'he  distant  e   between  the   two    i- 


feet,   and    the 


professor  states  that  he  has  seen  Salmon  jump  from  the  river  below  across 
both  masts.  Landmark  states  that  when  a  Salmon  jumps  a  fall  nearly  per- 
pentlicular,  it  is  sometimes  able  to  remain  in  the  fall,  even  if  the  jump  is  a 
foot  or  two  short  of  the   actual    height.      This   has   been    pr(j\ed   by  over- 


whelming   evK.vMice. 


The   fish  may  be  seen   tremblinu.    and   then    rest 


for  a  minute  or  two  a  foot  or  so  below  the  (:(\'j,ii  or  the  fall,  with  a  smart 
twite  h  of  its  tail,  the  rest  of  the  fall  is  cleared.  Only  fish  which  strike 
straight  with  the  snout  are  able  to  remain  in  the  falling  mass  of  water  ;  if 
they  strike  oblitjuely,  they  are  carried  back  into  the  stream  below 


Thij 


Landmark  believes  to  be  the  explanation  of  Salmf)n   ])assing   falls   with   a 
clear  tlescent  of  16  feet. 

Although,  like  trout,  and  unlike  shad.  Sahnon  spawn  with  a  falling 
temperature,  not  de])Ositing  their  eggs  until  the  water  is  at  least  as  cold  as 
50°,  yet  they  seem  to  enter  the  ri\ers  on  a  rising  temperature.  Varrell 
remarked  that  lOnglish  ri\ers  issuing  from  large  lakes  afford  early  Salmon, 
while  rivers  swollen  by  melting  snows  in  the  spring  months  are  later  in 
their  season  of  producing  fish,  and  yield  their  supiply  when  the  lake  ri\ers 
are  beginning  to  fail.  In  Americ  a  the  Southern  streams  seem  to  vield  the 
earliest  fish.      In  the  Connecticut  they  appear  in  April   and    May,    in  the 


>t%, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


11.25 


UilM    125 
Hf   Ufi    12.0 

■UUk 

m 

1.4    11.6 


—    6' 


7 


Hiotogr^hic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)  872-4503 


\ 


•^ 


:\ 


\ 


fv 


<^.  <^, 


O"  ^  '<^JV 


;\ 


448 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Mcrrimac  in  May  and  June,  in  tlic  Penobscot  most  al)un(lantly  in  June 
and  July,  though  some  come  as  early  as  April,  and  in  the  Miramichi,  from 
the  middle  of  Jiuie  to  October.  I  can  only  account  for  this  seeming 
paradox  l)y  the  theory  that,  while  Salmon  are  not  harmed  by  extreme 
variation  of  temperature,  they  may  be  averse  to  sudden  changes,  and 
though  strongly  impelled  to  seek  the  spawning  grounds  are  jirevented  by 
the  cold.  I  have  ascertained  that  the  ( od  possesses  very  little  animal 
warmth.  The  temperature  of  the  blood  of  a  number  of  individuals  caught 
in  twenty-five  fathoms  of  water  was  47°.  F. ,  jirecisely  that  of  the  water 
at  the  bottom  whence  they  were  lifted.  Mackerel  swimming  at  the  sur- 
face registered  59°  or  60°,  while  the  temperature  of  the  water  was  58°, 
t)nis  intlicating  that  they  ])ossess  a  trifling  amount  of  animal  heat.  The 
Salmon  unciuestionably  changes  its  temperature  with  that  of  the  surround- 
ing water  in  much  the  same  way,  and  if,  as  is  probable,  rivers  rising  in  the 
mountains  are  colder  in  early  s])ring  than  the  ocean  strata  freciuented  by 
the  Salmon,  here  is  a  possible  solution  of  the  i)roblem.  It  is  stated  that 
in  the  Knglish  rivers,  which  are  always  open,  there  are  no  regular  seasons 
of  ascent,  the  fish  constantly  passing  in  and  out:  indeed,  Mr.  Atkins 
thinks  it  pretty  certain  that  large  Salmon  in  prime  conilition  are  running 
into  the  Penobscot  from  the  sea  every  month  in  the  year.  It  is  likely, 
also,  that  the  warmth  of  the  rivers  is  an  important  factor  in  accelerating 
the  vegetative  growth  of  the  eggs  in  the  ovaries  of  the  mother  fish. 

The  movements  of  the  Salmon  are  not  so  intimately  related  to  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water  as  those  of  many  other  species.  They  are  not 
sensitive  to  sudden  changes,  and  are  capable  of  enduring  a  range  of  at 
least  forty-five  degrees.  In  this  they  resemble  less  the  migratory  fishes 
than  the  permanent  residents  of  our  fresh  waters  ;  indeed,  it  is  cpiite 
allowable  to  sjieak  of  them  as  resident,  for  a  large  j)roportion  of  the 
whole  colony  belonging  in  one  river  may  be  found  in  it  at  any  season. 
This  proportion  cannot  fall  nuu  h  below  two-thirds,  if  we  consider  that 
the  fish  less  than  a  year  oUl  would  make  up  at  least  half  its  number,  and 
that  the  breeding  fish  are  in  the  rivers  six  or  seven  months  after  the  breed- 
ing. The  breeding  fish  remain  during  the  season  of  greatest  heat  and 
greatest  cold,  though  their  stay  after  they  have  deposited  their  eggs  is  no 
doubt  chiefly  because  their  vitality  is  iliminished  and  their  circulation 
retarded  by  the  falling  temperature,  depriving  them  alike  of  the  craving 
for  food  and  the  power  to  seek  it.     Those  which  spawn  early  are  believed 


ii 


THE  SALMON. 


449 


to  return  at  once  to  tlic  sea  ;  the  more  lardy  ones  often  remain  all  winter, 
and  are  carried  out  by  tiie  spring  freshets.  Salmon  eggs  are  wuX  injured 
by  freezing,  and  the  fish  are  nnc^uestionably  cpiite  as  hardy.  llnglish 
fish-culturists  claim  that  their  Salmon  will  not  thrive  where  the  water  is 
warmer  than  60°,  or  at  most  65°  in  the  summer,  but  Mr.  Atkins  kept  fish 
in  his  jionds  at  lUicksjiort.  Maine,  with  the  water  at  the  bottom  as  warm 
as  74°  at  midday,  the  means  of  bottom  and  surfa<e  tem])erature  for  June, 
July,  August,  September,  and  October,  1.S7J,  being  60"^. 6.  65". y,  69°. S. 
39°,  50°. 3,  and  72°. 9,  73°.  I,  73°-^>.  62°. 2,  54''. 3.,  respectively.  In  the 
(laspe  Salmon  streams,  where  the  I'lsh  ;ire  in  the  perfection  of  activit),  the 
temperature  of  the  jjooLs  in  July  ranges  from  30 'j°  to  59°. 

Leaving  the  oi)en  ocean  they  enter  the  bays,  where  they  remain  fur 
several  weeks,  becoming  inured  to  brackish  water,  feeding  liberally  on  the 
small  estuary  llshes,  such  as  smelts,  cai)elins,  an<l  the  fry  of  the  herring 
tribe.  When  they  begin  to  ascend  the  rivers  they  seldom  pause  even  to 
feed.  Sometimes  they  rest  in  the  (juiet  pools,  and  it  is  then  that  tluy 
condescend  to  notice  the  lly-hook  of  the  anglers.  It  is  the  dryest  season 
of  the  year,  and  they  are  often  obliged  to  wait  until  the  streams  are 
raiseil  by  rain,  and  then  they  bravely  struggle  onward,  s|)ringing  with 
agility  over  falls  of  considerable  height.  Most  of  them  i)r(jceed  at  once  U) 
the  vicinity  of  the  spawning  ground,  which  is  near  the  source  of  some  cool 
stream.  On  the  Penobscot,  the  earliest  reach  the  limits  of  upward  migra- 
tion before  midsummer.  Spawning  l)egins  here  during  the  last  week  in 
()( tober,  and  continues  into  Noveml)er,  while  in  the  Gaspe  region  it  is  a 
week  or  two  earlier,  though  everywhere  the  sea.son  is  in  late  autimin. 

At  the  approach  of  the  jjairing  season  their  trim  shapes  and  bright 
colors  disappear.  They  grow  lank  and  niissha])en,  the  fms  are  thick 
and  fleshy,  and  the  skin,  which  becomes  thick  and  slimy,  is  blotched  and 
mottled  with  brown,  green  or  blue,  and  vermilion  or  scarlet.  These 
changes  are  chiefly  apparent  in  the  males,  whose  jaws  now  become  curved 
so  that  they  touch  only  at  the  tips,  the  lower  one  developing  a  large, 
powert'ul  hook,  which  is  his  weapon  in  the  savage  combats  with  his  rivals 
in  which  he  at  this  period  engages.  When  in  this  condition,  and  after 
spawning,  when  they  retrace  their  source  to  the  sea,  they  are  known  as 
"Kelts." 

The  earliest  ariive  on  the  headwaters  two  or  three  months  before 
spawning  time.     As  soon   as   the  water  is  cool  enough  they   jjroceed   to 


iq 


45° 


AMERICAX  FISHES. 


ck']H)sit  their  eggs  in  dee])  furrows  which  they  ])l()w  up  in  the  sandy  or 
gravelly  bottom  of  the  stream,  usually  near  th«'  verge  c>f  a  rapid.  Euro- 
pean observers  state  that  the  furrows  are  shaped  by  the  noses  of  the  two 
parent  fish,  every  nest  being  filled  with  eggs  before  the  next  one  is  made, 
and  the  first  covered  up  by  the  sand  which  is  loosened  in  digging  the 
second,  chiefly  by  the  action  of  the  current.  Mr.  Atkins  observed  a 
female  Land-locked  Salmon  excavating  a  nest  by  turning  on  her  side  and 
flopping  violently  against  the  bottom  with  her  tail,  while  the  male  was 
engaged  in  driving  away  rivals  and  predaceous  foes.  Spawning  is  not 
accomplished  at  once,  but  the  eggs,  are  deposited  by  installments,  as  fast 
as  they  mature,  during  a  ],eriod  of  from  five  to  twelve  days.  "  When  the 
furrow  is  made,  the  male  and  the  female  retire  to  a  little  distance,  one  to 
the  one  side,  the  other  to  the  other  side  of  the  furrow  ;  they  then  throw 
themselves  on  their  sides,  again  come  together,  and  rublung  together  both 
shed  their  s|)a\vii  into  the  furrow  at  the  same  time."  This  is  the  observa- 
tion of  Mr.  Ellis  on  the  European  Salmon,  and  a  similar  habit  has  been 
obscved  by  Mr.  Whitcher  in  Canada.  In  the  tributaries  of  the  St. 
Lawrence,  spawning  begins  by  the  middle  of  October;  in  Maine,  with 
both  Land-locked  and  Sea  Salmon,  a  week  or  two  later,  and  it  is  presum- 
able that  in  the  Connecticut  it  will  be  found  to  occur  well  along  towards 
December.  In  Great  Britain  and  in  the  Rhine  the  season  begins  in 
October  or  November,  continuing  in  some  rivers  till  February. 


A  YOUXG  SALMON. 

Salmon  eggs  are  about  one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  of  a 
bright  reddish  or  yellowish  hue.  English  fish-culturists  estimate  the  num- 
ber of  eggs  yielded  by  a  large  fish  at  i  ,000  to  each  pound  of  her  weight ; 


THE  SAL.VOX. 


45' 


exiK'riiiK-nts  in  the  IVnobscot  indicate  a  yiuM  of  not  more  than  5.000  or 
6,000  for  a  fish  of  eight  pounds,  and  ahout  15.000  for  one  of  forty  pounds. 
In  the  S(ot<  li  streams  the  eggs  come  to  maturity  in  one  hundred  to  one 
hundred  and  forty  (hiys.  hut  in  our  (older  waters,  at  a  temperature  of  _;;,° 
througli  winter  and  spring,  tlie  period  of  incuhation  is  su])p()sed  to  extend 
over  six  or  seven  months,  the  young  fisli  not  appearing  until  May.  In  the 
hatching-house  the  period  varies  greatly,  eggs  having  been  lKit(  lied  in 
fifty-four  days  with  a  temi)erature  of  55°,  and  in  one  humlred  and  four- 
teen at  36°. 

The  newly  hatched  Salmon  measures  ahout  three-i|uarters  of  ,\u  im  h. 
and  has  the  yolk-sac  ailherenl  from  four  to  six  weeks.  When  this  is 
al)sorl)ed  it  begins  to  feed,  rising  greedily  to  seize  any  minute  th)ating 
object.  In  two  months  the  fry  has  grown  to  an  in(  h  and  a  half,  and 
begins  to  assume  the  vermilion  spot>.  and  transverse  bars  or  fiuger  marks 
which  entitle  it  to  be  called  a  ''  Parr."  and  which  it  retains  while  remain- 
ing in  fresh  water,  sometimes  u.itil  it  is  seven  or  eight  inc  hes  long.  It 
continues  a  "  Parr"  imtil  the  second  or  third  spring,  when,  in  prejiara- 
tion  for,  or  perhaps  in  conse«iuence  of.  a  descent  toward  the  sea.  a  uni- 
form Ijright  silvery  coat  is  assumed,  and  the  I'arr  be(  omes  a  ••  Smolt." 
After  remaining  from  four  to  twenty-eight  months  in  the  s.dt  water  it 
again  seeks  its  native  river,  having  become  either  a  "  (Irilse  "or  a  •'  Sal 
mon."  The  "  Clrilse  "  is  the  adolescent  Salmon  :  it  weighs  from  two  to 
six  i)ounds,  and  is  more  slender  and  graceful  than  the  mature  fish,  witii 
smaller  head,  thinner  scales,  more  forked  tail,  and  spots  rounder,  more 
numerous,  and  bluish  rather  than  jetty  black.  The  two  nuiy  easily  be 
distinguished  even  though  both  should  be  of  the  same  si/e.  as  not  unfrc- 
quently  happens.  The  male  (IriUe  is  sexually  mature,  l)Ut  not  the  female, 
in  America  ;  in  Muroi)e  the  same  is  claimed  for  the  male  i'arr  and  the 
feiiiale  (Irilse. 


i 


A   IVVlSli. 


*'  There  is  nothing  in  the  water,"  says  Norris,  "  that  surpasses  a  Grilse 


45  a 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


in  its  symmt'trical  beauty,  its  brilliancy,  its  agility,  and  its  pluck.  I 
have  had  one  of  four  pounds  to  leai)  from  the  water  ten  times,  and  higher 
antl  further  than  a  Salmon.  Woe  to  the  angler  who  attempts,  without 
giving  line,  to  hold  one  even  of  three  pounds  ;  he  does  it  at  the  risk  of  his 
casting  line,  or  his  agile  o])ponent  tears  a  piece  from  its  jaw  or  snout  in  its 
desperate  effort  to  escape." 

Mr.  Atkins  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  great  run  of  Grilse  which 
is  so  j)rominent  a  feature  in  Canada  and  Europe  is  almost  entirely  absent 
in  tlie  rivers  of  the  United  States,  the  fish  not  returning  until  they  have 
become  ailult.  In  rivers  where  Grilse  are  found,  the  Salmon  always  |)rc- 
cede  them  in  their  ascent,  for  the  former  do  not  enter  fresh  water  until 
toward  the  end  of  summer. 


Who  can  wonder  at  the  angler's  enthusiasm  over  "  a  Salmon  fresh  run 
in  love  and  glory  from  the  sea?"  ^iear  Christopher  North's  praise  of  a 
])erfect  f;sh  : 

"  She  has  literally  no  head  ;  but  her  snout  is  in  her  shoulders.  That  is 
the  beauty  of  a  fish,  high  and  round  shoulders,  short  waisted,  no  loins,  but 
all  body  and  not  long  of  terminating — the  shorter  still  the  better — in  a 
tail  sharp  and  i)ointed  as  Diana's,  when  she  is  crescent  in  the  sky." 

Mr.  Kilbourne's  painting  in  Scribner's  "  Game  Fishes  of  North  Ameri- 
ca" represents  a  thirty-pound  fish  drawn  to  a  scale  of  one-fourth,  The 
largest  on  record  was  one  of  eighty-three  pounds,  brought  to  London  in 
1S21  ;  the  Scotch  fish  rarely  exceed  twenty-five  pounds.  Periey  speaks 
of  a  sixty-ijounder  taken  long  ago  in  the  Restigouche  ;  in  1852  many  of 
forty,  and  one  of  forty-seven  pounds,  were  caught  in  the  Cascapediac. 
Mr.  Frederick  Curtis's  score  for  York  River,  Canada,  July  7,  1871,  shows 
nine  fish  ranging  from  seventeen  to  thirty-four  and  averaging  twenty-six 
and  a  quarter  pounds.     Another,  for  the  same  locality,  July,  1876,    shows 


THE  SALMON. 


453 


one  hundred  and  ten  fish,  averaging  more  than  twenty-two  pounds.  This 
was  by  Mr.  Thomas  Reynolds,  who  caught  in  the  same  river  a  fish  of 
forty-seven  pounds,  the  largest  ever  killed  in  Gaspe  with  a  fly.  In  tlie 
Penobscot  forty-pounders  have  occasionally  been  taken,  but  not  more  than 
one  out  of  a  thousand  weighs  thirty,  and  the  common  size  is  from  ten  to 
twelve  pounds.  A  fish  two  feet  long  would  weigh  about  six  pounds  ;  one 
of  thirty  inches,  nine  or  ten  ;  one  of  three  feet,  sixteen  to  seventeen  ;  antl 
one  four  feet  long,  nearly  fifty.  A  score  of  twenty-two  day's  fishing,  with 
four  rods,  in  the  Godbout,  in  June  and  July,  1865,  foots  up  four  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  fish,  averaging  nine  and  three-quarters  pounds. 

In  Great  Britain,  by  systematic  culture  and  protection,  the  salmon  fishery 
has  been  made  one  of  the  most  important  acpiatic  industries.  The  rental  of 
the  privileges  on  three  salmon  rivers,  the  Tay,  the  Spey,  and  the  Tweed, 
amounted  in  1873  to  nearly  $200,000  ;  and  in  this  year  3,800,000  pounds 
of  salmon,  worth  at  least  $1,350,000  were  brought  to  London  markets, 
2,580,000  pounds  coming  from  Scotland  alone. 

The  salmon  rivers  of  North  America  may  be  made  to  yield  a  harvest 
much  richer  than  this  ;  those  of  Maine  alone  are  probably  as  numerous 
and  well  adapted  for  the  purpose  as  those  of  Scotland,  which  are  valued 
at  ^^250, 000  a  year,  those  of  England  being  placed  at  ^100,000,  and  of 
Ireland  at  ^400,000. 

Walton  and  all  his  disciples  have  called  the  Salmon  the  "King  of  Fresh 
Water  Fishes."  Whole  libraries  have  been  written,  about  his  Majesty, 
and  the  adventures  of  the  regicides  who  show  their  admiration  of  him  by 
killing  him  as  often  as  they  can.  Salmon  fishery,  from  the  technical  stand- 
point, may  not  here  be  discussed,  and  the  reader  is  respectfully  referred  to 
the  writings  of  Hallock,  Scrope  Roosevelt,  Harris,  Dawson,  Herbert, 
Pennell,  Francis  and  Buckland,  and  others,  mighty  with  the  rod  and  facile 
with  the  pen. 


' 


1 


TlIK  STKKL  HEAD. 


THE  SALMON  TROUTS. 


The  i;l.ul  trout  is  roaming  in  every  clear  stream 

Anil  the  grilse  and  the  Salmon  now  drink  the  May  llood, 
Then  anglers  be  up  with  the  sun's  early  beam. 
Let  your  llics  be  in  trim  and  your  tackle  be  good. 

Chatto  :   /'//(•  \orth  County  Angler,  1S83. 


'T'HF2  near  allies  of  Salino  sa/ar,  which  occurs  on  the  Pacific  slope,  are 
set  asiile  by  Jordan  in  subgenus  to  be  called  cither  Sahir  or  Fario, 
which  is  distinguished  from  the  typical  Salmo  by  an  exaggerated  develop- 
ment of  the  teeth  upon  the  vomer  or  plough-share  bone  in  the  roof  of  the 
mouth,  and  also  by  a  much  less  pronounced  difference  between  the  males 
and  females  in  the  breeiling  season. 

These  fishes  are  so  closely  allied,  and  are  likely  to  be  of  so  much  inte- 
rest in  the  near  future,  that  I  think,  it  proper  to  print  a  table  of  their 
affinities  prepared  by  Dr.  Bean  : 

SPECIES  OF  SALMON. 

.(.     Sea  salmon,  anadromous.  Subgenus  SALMO. 

No  hyoid  teeth  ;  vomerines  little  developed,  sometimes  deciduous  ;  scales  large  ;  caudal  forked  except 
in  the  old  ;  lower  jaw  of  breeding  ntales  hooked  upwa.'d  and  received  into  or  through  upper  jaw; 
gill-rakers  short,  19  ;  vertebra;  27-31.  Suliiio  salar.  The  Atlantic  Salmon. 

A.  I.     River  salmon,  not  anadromous.  Subgenus  F.\RIO. 

/'.     No  hyoid  teeth, 
c'.    Scales  large,  fewer  than  140. 
li.     American  species  :  silvery,  with  usually  small  bl.ack  spots  ;  a  broad  median  crimson  band  inbreed- 
ing  males  ;  opercles  with  few  spots  or  none. 
e.     Anal   rays  u;  depth  of  body  equals  length  of  head  in  young  gill-rakers  7-10-12-13;  coeca 
50-62.  S.  Cairdneri.  The  Stbblhkad  Salmon. 

et.     Anal  rays  10;  depth  of  body  much  e.\ceeds  length  of  head  in  young  ;  gill-rakers  8-42  :  coeca 
45-70  5.  iridcus.  Tjie.  Rainuow  Trout. 


Tin-:  SAI.MOX  TROL'TS. 


455 


ilJ.     Eurni)can  species  :    lirown,  with  l.irnc  brown  or  M.uk,  simctinus  ro.l,  sp  .is  ;    cprnk's  with 
r.itlicr  iiimiiriMis  (l.irk  sputs. 
/.     Hocly  ratlicr  stmit  ;   iiiiixill.i  very  slrmi;' and  ililalcil  ;   vonu-riiii.' teeth   in  a  iltxihle  series, 
gill-rakers   8-ij;  cccca  m-4J  ;  vcrlelir;e   57-.s3,   persistent. 

S.jUritK    'I'lIF  HkoWN    TkiHTDF  ElHDi'K. 

IJT.     Itjily  rather  slen  lor  :  mivilla  narriw  ami    fecMe  ;  vomerine  teeth  liuca  (k>-8o  ;   verte- 
lir.e    ^'i,  uniseiial,    persistent       .V.  /r7'C»(,-«.t/.r.      Tint    I.oi  h-livkm    Timii'. 
iV      Scales  small,  ahoiit  170,  >;ill-rakers  S-o-i.t ;  c;tea  40-50.    S.  s/'i/iinis.      I'm-:  Riu  Uuandk  Tuiii  r. 
f/\     Ilyoiil  tcelli. 

.C.     liaik  ami  siilcs  everywhere  hlaik  sputtcil,  silvery  in  sea  run  examples. 
//.     Ileail    short:  scales    not    more   than  170,    i;i||. rakers  S-u;    eu'ca  jo. 

S.  /■ii>/'Hi;itii.s.     Tmi!  Rocky  MofNiAiN    I'lMir. 
////.     Head   I'.n.i;,  Clinical  :  scales   sometimes   1S4,  ^ill-rakers  11.14  ;  cioia  so'io. 

.S".  //.■«.t//<»;c'/.  Tm;  I.akic  'rAiioii  'rKnir. 
iy.     Sides  anteriorly  with  few  hlack  spots  ;  scales  aliotit  2i»>. 

/,     Head  lonn,  with  medium  keel  ;  ijill-r.ikers  7-1-'.  .S". //.v/r/V/c  «.f. 
ii.     Head  shorter,  without  keel.  S.  st,'miii.t.     Till!  Kansas  Rivi:n    Tuorr 

The  Safmo  Gciirdiicri,  of  Richardson,  is  usually  known  as  the  "Stit-l- 
head."  The  name  '*  Hard-head  "  is  somctinu's  ajiiilifil  to  it,  and  it  is 
known  to  the  Russians  as  "  Seomga.  The  name  "M\  kiss  "is  said  to 
have  been  in  former  years  in  use  in  Kamtchatka.  I.ai\ue  individuals  are 
often  called  "Salmon  Trout."  'I'he  Intlian  name  "Humaana"  is  said  to 
be  given  to  it  on  the  Upper  Columbia.  It  reaches  the  weight  of  twenty- 
two  pounds,  the  average  weight  when  fully  grown  being  about  sixteen. 
Young  specimens  have  not  very  often  been  captured.  It  is  found  always, 
from  the  Sacramento  river  northward  at  least  to  Kodiak,  Alaska,  close  to 
the  coast.  In  the  Columbia  and  Krazer  Ri\ers  it  occurs  in  abundance  in 
the  spring  at  the  time  of  the  Salmon  run.  (Iravid  females  were  taken  by 
Bean  at  Sitka  in  June.  The  si)ecies  sometimes  exceeds  25  pounds  in 
weight.  None  have  yet  been  noticed  to  the  eastward  of  the  Cascade 
Range,  and  as  far  as  appearances  go  it  is  a  jiermanent  inhabitant  of  river 
mouths.  It  jirobably  spawns  late  in  the  fall  or  in  the  winter,  as  many  of 
those  taken  at  the  first  run  of  the  Salmon  are  spent  fish,  with  the  tlesh 
white  and  worthless. 

Its  history,  writes  Jordan,  is  still  obscure.  According  to  Pallas,  it 
migrates  singly,  from  June  to  September;  some  remaining  all  the  year  in 
the  rivers,  returning  to  the  sea  in  May.  It  feeds  in  the  fresh  waters,  on 
any  living  thing.  Hence,  unlike  the  other  Trout,  which  tluring  the  ascent 
of  the  rivers  grow  lean  with  foisting,  breeding,  and  exertion,  this  species 
is  plump  and  well  fed,  and,  with  Salvclinus  uialiiia  only,  does  not  perish 
in  the  winter.  Elsewhere  than  in  the  Columbia  this  species  is  highly 
valued  as  a  food-fish.     When  taken  in  the  Columbia,  in  spring,  little  or  no 


45^ 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


use  is  made  of  it.  Its  flesh  is  pale,  and  its  I.diks  too  firm  for  it  to  he  used 
in  canning,  while  old  individuals  taken  in  tlie  (  anning  season  are  usually 
spent  and  worthless.     In  tlie  Sacramento  it  is  not  very  ( onuuon. 


THE  UAINBOW  TROUT. 

Salmo  iriiieus,  is  called  the  "  Rainbow  Trout,"  "  Brook  Trout,"  "Moun- 
tain Trout,"  "  Speckled  Trout,"  "  (lolden  Trout,"  and  by  various  other 
names.  It  does  not  reach  a  weight  of  more  than  five  or  six  jiounds,  so  far 
as  we  know,  and  most  of  them,  as  taken,  are  fingerlings  ranging  from  four 
inches  to  a  foot  in  length.  It  is  found  in  streams  west  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  from  near  the  Mexican  line  to  Oregon,  and  is  said  to  oc(  ur 
in  the  northern  part  of  Lower  California.  The  southernmost  seen  by 
Jortlan  were  from  San  Luis  Rey  River.  Few  have  been  observed  in 
salt  water.  It  may  probably  run  into  the  sea  from  streams  in  which  the 
lower  waters  are  clear.  It  feeds  on  worms,  larva:,  and  the  like.  It  is 
a  fish  of  little  gameness  or  activity,  which  has  not  often  been  brought 
into  the  markets  of  San  Francisco,  and  at  present  has  little  economic  im- 
])ortance,  although  of  course  a  good  table-fish.  It  has  been  rather  exten- 
sively introduced  into  the  waters  of  the  Eastern  United  States,  and  has 
been  reared  artificially  in  large  numbers  by  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission  on 
the  McCloud  river  in  California,  and  thence  distributed  eastward  and 
across  the  Pacific.  The  growth  of  the  species  at  Northville,  Mich.,  Ver- 
ona, Mo.,  Wytheville,  Va.,  Cold  Spring,  N.  Y. ,  and  in  Japan,  is  very 
gratifying.  Sjiecimens  have  been  obtained  from  North  Carolina.  The 
South  Side  club  at  Oakdale,  Long  Island,  recently  sent  to  the  National 
Museum  a  fine  example  taken  in  salt  water. 

The  Rio   Grande  Trout,  Salmo  spihints,    (Cope)   is  abundant  in   the 
headwaters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  Rio  Colorado,  and  their  tributaries,  being 


/•///•;  .S.I /..vox  Th'ocrs. 


45: 


the  finest  fofxl-fish  in  Ne-.v  >re\i( o  ;in<l  Western  rolmado.  It  has  also 
been  taken  in  IJear  River,  ami  proliabl)  is  foimd  in  most  of  the  mountain 
streams  of  I'tah,  heini,'  in  ^'eiieral  rather  southern  in  its  distriliution.  It 
probaMy  inhabits  all  streams  within  the  t  in  le  of  its  distribution,  without 
regard  to  the  direction  in  which  they  may  How.  Ijtlle  distiiK  live  is 
known  of  its  habits.  It  is  probably  a  comparatively  recent  off-shoot  from 
S.  piirpiiratiis.  As  in  other  sjjecies,  considerable  variation  is  shown  in 
specimens  from  different  localities.  Its  usual  si/e  is  larger  than  that  of 
S.  pttrpuratiis. 


Till-;  IIUACK  Sl'OTTKD  TllOCT. 


The  Black  Spotted  Trout,  the  Sa/iro  purpiinxtus  of  Pallas,  is  univer- 
sally distributed  through  the  Roc  ky  Mountain  region,  chielly  east  of  the 
Sierra  southward,  but  reaching  the  sea  from  Mount  Shasta,  northward.  It 
occurs  in  every  lake  of  New  Mexico,  Utah,  Western  Colorado,  Wyoming, 
Montana,  Idaho,  Oregon,  anil  Washington.  All  the  streams  in  this 
region  are  fdled  with  them,  and  in  Puget  Sound  the  young  of  every  size 
occur  in  abundance  in  the  salt  water.  Individuals  are  occasionally  taken 
along  the  California  coast. 

This  fish  is  known  as  the  "Trout,"  "Mountain  Trout,"  "Spotted 
Trout,"  "Black  Trout,"  and  "Silver  Trout."  in  the  mountains,  but 
when  in  the  ocean,  full  grown,  as  "Salmon  Trout"  or  "Steel-head." 
Hallock  and  other  recent  writers  have  applied  to  it  the  horrible  name  "  Cut 
Throat  Trout,"  which  it  is  hoped  will  never  be  sanctioned  in  literature. 
The  Indian  name  "  Preestl "  is  also  ascribed  to  it  on  the  Upper 
Columbia.  It  reaches  a  weight  of  thirty  pounds  under  the  most  favorable 
circumstances,  but  may  be  found  in  any  stream  or  lake  of  its  habitat,  of 
lengths  varying  from  two  inches  to  two  or  three  feet. 


i 


\ 


!| 


1   i 


4S8 


A.UEIUCAN  FIS/fES. 


It  fiL-ds  on  any  living  thinj,'  it  finds  near  it.  In  tlic  nioinitain  lakes  it 
spawns  in  the  spring,',  running  into  the  rivers  for  that  purpose.  Unlike  .V. 
CntirJiwri,  its  young  are  very  ronimon.  and  it  probably  begins  breeding 
in  mountain  streams  at  a  length  of  less  than  a  fof)t.  Local  variations 
occur  in  abundance.  Spec  imens  from  Seattle  have  the  s(  ales  notably 
larger  than  those  from  Victoria  and  Astoria,  which  agree  with  Utah  Lake 
specimens  in  tliis  respect,  'i'hose  that  live  in  the  depths  of  shady  lakes 
are  almost  black,  while  others  are  pale,  'i'hose  in  the  sea  are  silvery  am! 
only  faintly  spotted.  In  the  opinion  of  Prof.  Jordan  this  species  is  likely 
to  prove  mu<  h  more  valuable  for  introduction  into  Lastern  waters  than 
the  Rainbow  Trout.  It  is  more  acti\e,  more  gamy,  reai  lies  a  large  si/e, 
and  thrives  in  a  greater  variety  of  waters. 

The  Lake  Tahoe  Trout,  Sa/iiio  Jftnsliaioi,  named  in  honor  of  the 
well-known  explorer  and  naturalist  Henry  W.  Henshaw,  and  known  also 
as  the  "  Silver  Trout"  and  the  "  Black  Trout,"  occurs  nt)t  only  in  Tahoe, 
but  in  Pyramid  Lake  and  the  streams  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  This  form, 
which  has  a  longer  and  more  conical  head  than  S.  spi/iiriis,  is  a  remark- 
ably fine  fish,  many  the  weight  of  fifteen  poimds,  and  is  su])plied  abun- 
dantly to  the  California  city  markets.  Its  ordinary  weight  is  five  or  si,\ 
jjounds,  but  it  often  weighs  eighteen  or  twenty. 

A  small  hatchery  has  been  estaldished  at  Tahoe  City  for  the  purpose  of 
stocking  a  small  branch  of  the  lake  for  the  benefit  of  summer  visitors. 
Hean  is  inclined  to  consider  this  a  form  oi  S.  purpuratus. 

The  Black-spotted  Trout,  Sa/ino p/ciirificus,  is  closely  allied  to  a  form 
which  is  found  chiefly  in  the  Utah  Basin.  Bean  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  the  types  of  this  species  'lave  well  developed  hyoid  teeth  and 
must  be  placed  in  the  same  group  \\\i\\ puipiiratus,  and  not  with  spiliirus, 
as  has  hitherto  been  done  by  good  authorities. 

The  Waha  Lake  Trout,  ^S".  pinpiirafiis  Bouvicri,  was  discovered  by  Capt. 
Charles  Bendire,U.  S.  A.,  in  Waha  Lake,  a  landlocked  mountain  tarn 
in  ^^'ashington  Territory.  It  is  a  curiously  colored  local  form  of  ^S".  ////-- 
piiratus,  with  dark  spots  only  on  the  dorsal, caudal  and  adipose  fins,  and 
on  the  tail  behind  the  anal  where  the  spots  are  very  dark  and  compar- 
atively small.  It  is  characterized  by  other  minute  differences  cata- 
logued by  Jordan. 

The  Kansas  River  Trout,  .S*.  s/o/n/as^iaa.  form  with  a  broad,  flat  head,  dis- 
tributed from  the  Kansas  river  to  the  Upper  Missouri, — the  characteristics 


nn-:  s. / /. . i/( > . \ -  iRorrs. 


450 


of  \vhi(  h  have  r.ot  yrt  been  well  deliiuil.  lUan  states  ili.il  it  rea(  lus 
t went) -four  iiu  lies  in  len^tli,  is  belies ed  to  be  one  of  the  nuuiermis 
varieties  of  Salino purpmatus. 


Tin:  iiiiinvN  iiicii  I'. 

The   I'rown  'I'rout   of  I'luiope,  Salmo Jario,  has  been  suctessfiilly  intro- 
duced into  our  waters  by  the  V .  S.  l'"ish  Commission. 

Mggs  were  first  re(eived  from  Ilerr  \'on  IJehr,  the  President  of  the 
Deutst  he  Fiseherei-Verein,  in  the  winter  of  iSSj-'Sj,  and  were  sent 
directly  from  New  York  to  the  station  at  Northville,  where  they  arrived 
February  I'S.  These  were  successfully  hate  hed  out  by  Mr.  Clark  by  the 
middle  of  March,  and  early  in  Ai)ril  were  ])lanted  l)y  him  in  a  branc  h  of 
the  I'ere  Manjuetto  River  of  Northern  Michigan. 

Early  in  iSSj  another  lot  of  eggs  was  sent  to  Mr.  Mather  as  a  jjersonal 
present  by  Herr  \\)\\  I5ehr.  Most  of  those  kejjt  at  this  station  died,  but 
those  sent  to  the  Northville  Station  and  to  the  station  of  the  New  York 
Fish  Commission  at  Caledonia  were  repcjrted  as  doing  well.  In  I.S.S4 
Herr  Von  IJehr  sent  an  additional  gift,  this  time  to  the  U.  S.  F'ish  C"om- 
mission,  in  care  of  Mr.  Mather,  anil  a  lot  of  10,000  was  received  from 
I'^ngland.  These  did  better  than  those  of  1883,  and  many  were  distributed 
to  various  New  York  waters. 

On  the  21st  of  February  Mr.  Mather  forwarded  to  Washington  2,000  of 
the  large  kind  of  Salino  fario,  and  9,000  of  the  small  variety.  These 
were  transferred  to  the  ^Vytheville  Station,  and  were  hatched  with  fair 
success,  but  all  died  before  beginning  to  eat. 

A  few  of  the  German  trout  reared  at  the  Northville  Station  spawned  in 
December,  18S5,  and  S, 000  eggs  were  obtained.  Two  lots  of  eggs,  23,000 
in  number,  were  forwarded  from  the  Cold  Spring  Harbor  Station,  the 
second  lot  of  which  (13,000)  arrived  in  poor  condition.  F>om  these 
31,000  eggs,  20,000  fry  were  hatched,  which  were  retained  at  the  station. 


'( 


I  i 


460 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


In  February,  18S5,  a  box  containing  40,000  eggs  in  very  good  order  was 
received  at  Cold  Spring,  from  the  German  Fischerei-Verein.  The  fry 
from  these  eggs,  which  when  hatched  and  ready  for  distribution  amounted 
to  about  28,000,  were  mostly  planted  on  Long  Island  and  near  the  Hudson. 

In  1885,  eggs  were  taken  by  several  other  person?,  as  well  as  at  the  Cold 
Spring  Harbor  Station,  from  fish  which  had  been  bred  from  eggs  sent  over 
from  Germany  two  or  three  years  before.  The  average  number  of  eggs 
taken  in  one  case  (the  fish  being  three-year-olds)  was  540,  and  there  are 
indications  that  this  yield  will  increase.  This  valuable  fish  has  thus  been 
successfully  acclimatized  in  this  country,  and  their  cultivation  may  to 
good  advantage  be  greatly  extended,  as  they  are  considered  superior  in 
many  respects  to  our  native  brook  trout. 

The  Brown  Trout  is  an  excellent  table  fish  and  attains  a  much  larger 
growth  than  the  species  found  in  the  United  States,  a  weight  of  from  10 
to  20  pounds  being  not  unusual.  Prof.  Baird,  in  introducing  it,  hoped  that 
it  might  be  available  for  some  localities  not  so  well  fitted  for  the  brook 
trout,  where,  by  its  rapid  growth  and  the  size  to  which  it  attains,  it  may 
constitute  an  important  article  of  food. 

The  Loch  Leven  Trout,  Salino  Icvenensis,  has  also  been  introduced 
within  the  past  few  years.  One  hundred  thousand  eggs  were  received  in 
excellent  condition  on  January  7,  1885,  from  Scotland,  having  been  sent 
by  Sir  James  Gibson  Maitland,  of  the  Howietoun  fishery,  Stirlingshire, 
and  repacked  by  Mr.  Fred  Mather,  of  Cold  Spring  Harbor,  N.  Y.,  by 
whom  all  shipments  of  eggs  to  and  from  Europe  were  skilfully  and  suc- 
cessfully handled.  Fifty-five  thousand  of  the  eggs  were  distributed  to  the 
commissioners  of  New  Hampshire,  Iowa,  Minnesota,  and  Maine,  includ- 
ing to  the  Bisby  Club,  in  Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.  The  loss  of  the  eggs  in 
hatching  was  very  slight,  and  only  a  few  of  the  fry  died  in  the  tanks.  Of 
the  43,500  that  were  hatched  at  Northville,  36,500  were  planted  in 
various  streams  in  Michigan,  and  7,000  were  retained  at  the  hatchery  for 
breeding  purposes. 

Of  the  10,000  eggs  which  were  sent  to  Bucksport,  about  3,000  were 
lost,  and  the  remaining  7,000  fry  were  planted  in  May,  in  Branch  Pond 
and  its  tributary  brooks,  near  Ainsworth,  Maine. 

"  There  is  some  difference  of  opinion,"  remarks  Bean,  "as  to  the  dis- 
tinctness of  the  Loch  Leven  Trout  from  the  Brown  Trout ;  for  the  present 
we  may  use  the  characters  mentioned  by  Dr.  Giinther  and  stated  in  the 
key  to  the  species,  on  page  455. 


THE  SALMON  TROUTS. 


461 


The  Sea  Trout  of  Europe,  Salmo  tnitta,\\'x%  not  yet  been  introduced,  1)ut 
I  see  no  reason  why  it  might  not  be  a  very  desirable  addition  to  the  fauna 
of  New  England  and  British  North  America. 


TIIK  SKA  TUdUT  <ll'  KUROPK. 

It  is  variously  known  as  the  Salmon  Trout,  the  Bull  Trout,  the  Savern, 
the  Ciwyniad  and  the  Peal.  It  occurs  in  the  rivers  which  fall  into  the 
Baltic,  the  North  Sea,  and  the  seas  surrounding  the  British  Isles,  and  in 
France,  in  the  Seine  and  Loire,  where  it  is  known  as  Tntitc  de  Mcr. 
Its  habits  correspond  to  those  of  the  Salmon,  and  its  life  history  is  very 
similar,  since  it  passes  through  the  p'^.rr  smolt  and  grilse  stages.  It  hybri- 
dizes with  the  other  salmonoid  fishes,  and  the  resulting  intermediate  forms 
have  always  been  a  great  source  of  perplexity  to  ichthyologists  as  well 
as  to  anglers. 

The  anglers  of  this  country  have  had  little  opportunity  to  practice  upon 
the  various  species  of  Salmon  Trout,  but  the  general  opinion  seems  to  be 
that  they  are  inferior  as  game  fishes  to  our  Red  Spotted  Trouts,  like 
Salvelinus  fontinalis.  I  have  taken  the  Rainbow  Trout  with  a  fly,  1)ut 
found  it  as  undemonstrative  as  a  Carp.  The  Brown  Trout  is  more  of  an 
angler's  fish,  and  if  our  streams  should  be  protected  so  as  to  permit  its 
thorough  acclimation,  we  doubtless  have  glorious  fishing  before  us. 


THE  XAMAYCCSH. 


THE  LAKE  TROUTS. 

Namaycush,  Togl'e  and  Siscowet. 


The  generous  gushing  of  the  springs, 

When  the  angler  goes  a-trolling, 
The  stir  of  song  and  summer  wings, 
The  line  which  shines,  and  life  which  sings 
Make  earth  replete  with  happy  things 
When  the  angler  goes  a-trolling." 

Thomas  Tod  Stoddart. 


npHE  Mackinaw  Trout,  or  Namaycush,  is  a  non-migratory  species  inhab- 
iting  the  chain  of  Great  Lakes  from  Superior  to  Ontario,  as  well  as  Lake 
Champlain  and  many  other  smaller  lakes  of  the  L^nited  States  and  of 
British  America,  occurring  also  to  the  Northeastward,  in  Mackinaw  River 
and  in  the  Knowall  River,  Alaska. 

"  The  Lake  Trout  is,"  remarks  Bean,  "  a  species  remarkable  for  its  great 
size,  reaching  3  feet  and  sometimes  weighing  40  pounds  ;  varying  greatly  in 
coloration,  the  extremes  noteworthy  in  Maine  and  Alaska.  It  seem  to  have 
no  parallel  in  Europe  and  is  well  separated  from  American  species  by  its 
peculiar  vomer  and  its  large  number  of  pyloric  cneca  (about  150)." 

Every  lake  of  Northern  New  York  and  New  England  has  its  own 
variety,  which  the  local  angler  stoutly  maintains  to  be  a  different  species 
from  that  found  in  the  next  township.  Some  are  as  black  as  a  tautog, 
some  brown  with  crimson  spots,  some  gray,  with  delicate  reticulations  like 
those  of  a  pickerel.  The  usual  type  to  be  found  in  the  Great  Lakes  is 
brown  or  gray,  dappled  with  lighter  shades  of  the   same  general   tints. 


THE  LAKE    TROCTS. 


4^M 


Naturalists  have  been  sadly  misled  by  their  protean  modifications.  The 
"  Xamaycush  "  of  the  North,  the  "  Togue  "  or  "  Tuladi  "  of  the  Maine 
and  New  Brunswick  Indians  and  lumbermen,  the  "  Siscowet  "  or  "  Sis- 
kawitz  "  of  Lake  Superior,  the  "Trout"  of  Winnijnseogee,  and  that  of 
the  Adirondack  lakes,  have  each  been  honored  with  a  distinct  binomial. 

The  angling  authorities  still  refuse  to  admit  that  the  Lake  Trout  of  the 
East  is  identical  with  the  Mackinaw  Trout,  or  Namaycush,  supporting 
their  views  by  accounts  of  their  very  different  habits.  A  careful  study  of 
the  dead  fish  is  sufficient,  however,  to  convince  a  trained  observer  that 
there  are  no  structural  characters  by  which  these  different  forms  may  be 
separated  into  species.  The  local  variations  should,  undoubtedly,  be  taken 
into  consideration,  and  when  these  are  better  understood  it  is  probalile 
that  zoologists  and  anglers  will  compromise  by  agreeing  to  consider  the 
most  strongly  marked  types  as  races,  or  breeds,  such  as  are  now  recog- 
nized among  dogs,  pigeons,  and  other  domesticated  animals. 

The  Namaycush  reaches  its  greatest  perfection  in  the  northern  parts  of 
Lakes  Huron,  Michigan  and  Superior,  where  it  is  quite  generally  known 
as  the  "  Mackinaw  Trout."  In  the  lakes  of  Northern  New  York  the  same 
species  occurs,  being  known  by  the  names  "Lake  Salmon,"  "Lake 
Trout,"  and  "  Salmon  Trout."  This  form,  which  is  considerably  smaller 
than  that  of  the  northern  lakes,  was  described  by  DeKay  under  the  name 
Salmo  confitiis,  and  was  observed  by  this  author  as  far  south  as  Silver  Lake, 
in  Northern  Pennsylvania.  Still  another  form  is  recognized  by  sportsmen, 
which,  although  undoubtedly  specifically  identical  with  that  of  the  Great 
Lakes,  has  been  described  under  various  names,  such  as  Salino  toma  and 
Salmo  symmetrica. 

"This  fish,"  writes  Lanman,  "is  found  in  all  the  great  lakes  of  New 
Brunswick,  and  in  very  many  of  those  of  Maine,  but  it  is  believed  not  to 
exist  in  the  lakes  of  Nova  Scotia.  It  is  called  by  the  lumbermen  the 
'  Togue  ;'  the  Indians  designate  it  by  a  name  ecjuivalent  to  '  Fresli-water 
Cod.'  It  is  found  in  great  numbers  and  of  large  size  in  the  Eagle  Lakes, 
at  the  head  of  Fish  River,  in  the  St.  Francis  lakes,  from  which  it  follows 
the  river  of  that  name,  and  in  the  Matapediac  Lake,  which  discharges 
itself  into  the  Restigouche,  and  in  the  Miramichi  Lake,  at  the  head  of  the 
river.  In  Lake  Temiscouata  this  fish  has  been  taken  of  the  weight  oi" 
twenty-one  pounds.  It  is  there  called  the  '  Tuladi.''  It  is  often  taken  of 
the  weight  of  twelve  pounds  and  upwards  in  the  Cheputnecticook  lakes,  at 
the  head  of  the  eastern  branch  of  the  St.  Croix.  It  has  been  found  of 
late  years  that  this  species  of  fish  exists  in  considerable  numbers  in  Loch 
Lomond,  twelve  miles  from  the  city  of  St.  John." 


464 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Hamlin  writes:  "This  Trout  inhabits  many  of  the  great  lakes  and 
deep  mountain  torrents  of  Maine  and  New  Brunswick,  but  it  is  believed 
not  to  exist  in  those  of  Eastern  New  Brunswick,  which  singular  hiatus  in 
its  distribution,  i)erhaps,  may  be  explained  by  the  absence  of  deep  waters 
in  that  country.  It  haunts  the  deepest  waters,  where  the  cold,  or  the  re- 
]iose  to  which  it  leads,  favors  that  development  and  conservation  of  fat 
which  is  indeed  a  characteristic,  and  it  steals  forth  in  quiet  at  the  approach 
of  twilight  or  at  early  morn  to  the  shoals  and  the  shores  in  quest  of  its 
prey." 

The  Winnipiseogee  Trout,  somewhat  abundant  in  Lake  Winnipiseogee 
and  supposed  to  occur  in  Lake  George,  is  also  a  form  of  this  species, 
closely  related  to  the  Togue. 

The  popular  and  scientific  names  which  have  been  given  to  this  species 
are  due  to  the  wonderful  tendency  of  variation  in  size,  shape,  and  colora- 
tion which  this  species,  like  the  Brook  Trout,  exhibits.  Every  lake  in 
which  they  occur  has  its  own  varieties,  which  local  authorities  believe  to 
be  quite  peculiar.  Some  are  black,  some  brown,  with  crimson  spots,  some 
gray,  with  delicate  reticulations  like  those  of  a  pickerel.  The  usual  type 
to  be  found  in  the  Great  Lakes  is  brown  or  gray  dappled  with  lighter 
shades  of  the  same  general  tint.  Throughout  Lakes  Superior,  Michigan, 
and  Huron,  the  fishermen  are  generally  of  the  opinion  that  there  are  at 
least  two  kinds  of  Lake  Trout.  It  seems  probable,  however,  that  these 
observers  have  been  misled  by  superficial  characters. 

The  best  study  of  the  habits  of  the  Namaycush,  as  an  inhabitant  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  was  that  made  by  Milner,  in  1871.  He  observed  that  in 
Lake  Michigan,  except  in  the  spawning  season,  they  remain  in  the  deep- 
est parts  of  the  lake.  In  their  autumnal  migrations  they  do  not  ascend  the 
rivers,  and  although  they  are  known  to  exist  in  a  few  small  inland  lakes, 
connected  with  the  main  lakes  by  rapids,  there  is  no  knowledge  that  they 
have  ever  been  seen  or  taken  in  the  outlets.  In  the  northern  parts  of 
Lake  Michigan  they  are  caught  in  depths  of  fifteen  fathoms  in  small  num- 
bers by  the  gill-nets,  and  more  plentifully  through  the  ice  in  winter, 
chiefly  at  a  depth  of  more  than  thirty  fathoms. 

They  are  ravenous  feeders.  In  Lake  Michigan,  where  a  careful  inves- 
tigation into  the  nature  of  their  food  was  made,  it  was  found  that  they 
were  preying  upon  the  cisco,  Corcgonus  Hoyi,  a  well-known  fish  closely 
resembling  the  white-fish.  Mr.  Milner  was  inclined  to  combat  the 
generally  accepted  theory  of  the  fishermen  that  they  are   large  consumers 


THE  LAKE  TROUTS. 


xd-- 


the 


lives- 

I  they 

:)sely 

the 

Imers 


of  young  white-fish,  stating  that  for  a  great  part  of  the  year  they  live  in 
much  deeper  water  than  is  resorted  to  by  the  young  white-fisli,  though 
Trout  straying  into  shoal  water,  or  migrating  upon  shallow  spawning 
grounds,  would  undoubtedly  prey  upon  the  smaller  white-fish  as  readily 
as  they  would  ujion  any  other. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  a  Trout  to  swallow  a  fish  nearly  as  large  as 
itself.  One  measuring  twenty-three  inches  was  brought  ashore  at  Two 
Rivers,  Wis.,  from  the  mouth  of  which  some  three  inches  of  the  tail  of  a 
fish  [Lo/a  niacii/flsa)  projected.  The  '-lawyer,"  when  taken  from  the 
Trout,  measured  about  seventeen  inches.  ''Their  exceeding  voracity," 
writes  Mr.  Milner,  "  induces  them  to  fill  their  maws  with  singular  articles 
ot  food.  Where  the  steamers  or  vessels  ])ass,  the  refuse  of  the  table  is 
eagerly  seizeil  upon,  and  I  have  taken  from  the  stomach  a  raw  jjceled 
l)otato  and  a  piece  of  sliced  liver,  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  jiieces  of 
corn-cobs,  in  the  green-corn  season." 

Neither  the  Mackinaw  Trout  nor  the  Siscowet  is  a  uame  fish  in  hinh 
esteem,  though  the  latter  is  taken  by  trolling  with  a  bright-colored  lly, 
with  a  minnow  bait,  or  a  spoon-hook.  It  does  not  rise  like  the  IJrook 
Trout,  and  its  play  is  likely  to  be  sluggish  and  sulky.  It  is  also  taken 
with  a  bottom  line  on  grounds  which  have  been  previously  baited.  The 
Indians  of  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  display  great  skill  in  spearing  the  Macki- 
naw Trout  through  the  ice,  luring  them  within  reach  by  means  of  decoy 
fishes  of  wood  and  lead.  By  far  the  largest  ijuantities  are  taken  in  j^ounds 
an<l  gill-nets  in  the  (ireat  Lakes. 

In  Lake  Superior  Trout  are  caught  principally  in  September,  October, 
and  November  in  pounds  and  gill-nets.  Formerly  they  were  fished  for 
with  hooks  only,  but  of  late  years  this  jiractice  has  been  abandoned  by 
professional  fishermen.  In  the  Green  Bay  region  large  Trout  are  caught 
principally  with  hooks,  though  in  the  western  part  of  the  bay  and  in 
Oconto  Bay  many  are  taken  in  gill  and  pound  nets  in  deep  water.  Those 
captured  in  the  gill-nets  are  thought  by  the  fishermen  to  be  meshed,  for 
the  most  part,  while  these  nets  are  being  lifted  ;  the  Trout  dart  after  the 
other  fish  which  have  been  gilled  and  thus  become  entangled.  In  Lake 
Huron  they  are  caught  entirely  with  gill-nets.  They  may  be  taken  with 
hooks  baited  in  the  ordinary  way,  but  can  hardly  be  said  to  afford  sport 
to  the  angler,  since  they  allow  themselves  to  be  i)ulled  to  the  surface  as 
easily  and  unresistingly  as  codfish. 


30 


466 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


The  Toguc  or  LungL-  of  our  northeastern  l)oun(lary  is  hekl  in  much 
liigher  favor  l)y  the  angler.  Hallock  states  that  the  young  fish  rise  freely 
to  trout-llies  in  rapid  water,  while  the  adults  are  extremely  voracious,  i)ar- 
ticularly  in  May  and  June,  when  they  can  be  taken  near  the  surface. 

Prof.  Arthur  L.  Adams,  in  "  Field  and  Forest  Rambles,"  gives  a  vivid 
picture  of  the  habits  of  this  peculiar  type  :  "  It  repairs  to  shallows  to  feed 
on  Trouts,  smelts,  and  the  like  ;  indeed,  the  last  named  fish  would  appear 
to  constituteits  favorite  winter  subsistence.  It  preys  extensively,  also,  on 
eels  and  cyprinoids,  and  is  in  fact  a  tyrant  with  an  a])petite  so  voracious 
that  quantities  of  twigs,  leaves,  and  fragments  of  wood  are  constantly 
found  in  its  stomach.  The  great  monster  will  sometimes  rise  to  spinning 
tackle,  but  in  so  sluggish  and  undemonstrative  a  manner  that  the  troller 
may  fancy  he  has  caught  a  water-logged  i)ine  or  stone.  In  this  way  I  had 
my  line  checked  in  Schoodic  Lake,  when,  striking  gently,  I  found  I  had 
missed  a  large  Togue,  whose  trenchant  teeth  had  made  a  series  of  deeji 
fiirrows  in  the  chub  with  which  the  hook  was  baited.  It  is  naturally  slug- 
gish and  inert,  and  apparently  much  of  a  bottom  feeder.  As  we  glided 
along  the  shore  of  one  of  the  islets,  composed  more  or  less  of  granitic 
bowlders,  our  attention  was  directed  by  the  guide  to  a  large  black  object 
on  the  bottom,  among  a  mass  of  stones.  This  he  asserted  was  a  monster 
Togue,  which,  if  such  was  the  case,  must  have  exceeded  three  feet  in 
length ;  moreover,  he  showed  us  two  notches  on  the  side  of  his  canoe, 
representing  the  dimensions  of  an  enormous  individual  which  an  Indian 
had  sjjeared  in  thesame  waters  during  the  spawning  season,  the  admeasure- 
ment being  no  less  than  four  feet  five  inches." 

The  Siscowet,  or  "  Siskawitz,"  is  a  form  of  Lake  Trout  which,  accord- 
ing to  many  authorities,  is  a  distinct  species,  and  which  has  been  observed 
only  in  Lake  Superior.  Having  never  seen  the  fish  in  a  fresh  condition, 
I  cannot  express  an  opinion  as  to  its  distinctness  from  the  Lake  Trout, 
but  good  ichthyologists  assure  me  that  its  peculiarities  are  very  slight,  con- 
sisting chiefly  in  its  wider  head,  its  thicker  skin,  and  its  stouter  body. 
Since,  however,  it  is  always  distinguished  from  the  Lake  Trout  by  the 
Indians  and  fishermen  of  Lake  Superior,  who  often  see  them  side  by  side, 
it  seems  possible  that  it  may  claim  a  sub-specific  rank.  It  was  first  described 
in  1850,  in  Agassiz's  "Lake  Superior,"  under  \.\\^\\7\.vi\q  Sahiw  siscowet. 
Herbert,  in  his  "  Fish  and  Fishing,"  p.  17,  gives  the  following  descrip- 
tion of  its  peculiarities : 

"  This  fish,  like  the  former  species,  came  frequently  under  my  eye  during 
my  late  northern  tour  ;  and  I  rejoice  in  the  possession  of  a  barrel  of  him 


THE  LAKE  TROUTS. 


467 


in  liis  i)icklt'(l  state,  which  I  prortircd  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  on  the 
strength  of  which  I  can  recommend  him  to  all  l()\ers  of  Liootl  eatinj;  as 
the  very  best  salt  fish  that  exists  in  the  world.  Me  is  so  fat  and  ri(  h  that 
when  eaten  fresh  he  is  imsufferaMy  rank  and  oily,  hut  wlien  salted  and 
broiled,  after  l)eing  steeped  for  forty-eight  honrs  in  cold  water,  he  is  not 
surpassed  or  ecpialed  by  any  fish  with  whic  h  1  am  acipiainted.  Since  my 
return  he  has  been  tasted  by  very  many  gentlemen  of  my  a(  (piaintance. 
and  by  no  one  of  them  has  he  been  ])ronounced  anything  less  than  sii]ii-r- 
lative.  His  habits  closely  resemble  those  of  the  *  Namaycush.'  and.  like 
him,  I  cannot  learn  that  he  ever  takes  the  lly  or  is  ever  taken  bv  trolling. 
I  do  not,  however,  believe  that  either  of  these  methods  is  often  resorted 
to  for  his  capture,  although  there  are  many  scientific  tly-iishers  about  the 
Sault,  and  the  Brook  Trout  of  those  waters  are  jirincipally  taken  with  large 
and  gaudy  lake-flies.  The  average  weight  of  tlie  '  Siskawit/ '  does  not  ex- 
ceed four  or  five  jjounds,  though  he  is  taken  up  to  seventeen.  His  excel- 
lence is  so  perfectly  understood  and  acknowledged  in  the  lake  countr\-  that 
he  fetches  double  the  price  per  barrel  of  his  coarser  big  brother,  the 
'  Namaycush';  and  he  is  so  greedily  sought  for  there  that  it  is  diflicult  to 
procure  him,  even  at  Detroit,  and  impossible  almost,  at  lUiffalo." 

Milner  states  that  the  Siscowet  lives  at  depths  greater  than  forty  fathoms, 
and  feeds  chiefly  upon  a  species  of  fresh-water  sculjiin.  It  spawns  in  Sep- 
tember in  deep  water.  The  average  size  is  about  four  and  one-half  i)Ounds. 
Two  five-pound  fish  yielded  respectively  2,796  and  3,120  eggs.  This 
species,  like  the  Lake  Trout,  is  for  the  most  jiart  taken  in  gill-nets. 

Mr.  George  Barnston,  of  Montreal,  Canada,  formerly  of  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company,  who  made  an  extensive  natural  history  collection  on  Lake 
Superior,  claims  that  there  is  a  third  species  of  Lake  Trout,  different  from 
the  Siscowet,  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  called  the  "  Muccpia  " 
or  "  Bear  Trout." 

Mr.  Robert  Ormsby  Sweeny,  chairman  of  the  Minnesota  fish  commission, 
in  a  letter  dated  Saint  Paul,  Mi,nnesota,  October  19.  18S0,  conveys  the 
following  information  concerning  the  Siscowet,  which  is  more  i)recise  and 
comprehensive  than  anything  hitherto  ))ublished  : 

"  I  have  not  only  examined  the  Siskowet  carefully  myself  and  compared 
them  with  Agassiz's  formulas,  but  asked  and  consulted  with  traders,  voy- 
agers, Indians  and  half-bloods,  and  fishermen,  in  regard  to  their  habits, 
size,  color,  weight,  etc.,  and  all  come  to  the  same  conclusion.  They  are 
not  possibly  a  '  Namaycush  '  and  should  never  be  considered  the  same  fish. 
The  name  'Sis-ko-wet'  is  an  Ojibewa  word,  and  means  literally  '  cooks 
itself.'    The  fish  when  fresh  is  most  deliciously  rich,  tasting  like  the  belly 


468 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


ofamarkercl.     The   '  Namaycush  '  is  dry  and  lacks  delicacy,  and  can- 
not l)C  even  fried  without  pork-fat  or  lard. 

"  The  amateur  is  likely  to  confound  the  Namaycush  with  the  Siscowet, 
but  when  the  differences  are  once  ])ointed  out,  no  confusion  of  the  two 
again  arises.  The  fisherman  recognize  them  before  taken  trom  the  water 
when  hauling  in  the  nets  ;  even  the  Indian  children  know  them  at  a  glance. 
The  head  of  the  Siscowet  is  shorter  and  broader  in  proportion,  eyes 
nearer  the  end  of  nose  and  are  wider  a])art ;  the  whole  osseous  structure 
of  the  head  lighter,  more  delicate  and  flexible,  particularly  the  sub-max- 
illaries,  which  in  the  Namaycush  are  heavy,  rigid,  and  rounded.  The 
coloring  varies  in  different  specimens  according  to  locality  whence 
taken.  The  spots  or  markings  are  unlike  those  of  the  Namaycush,  more 
even  in  size  and  shape,  and  more  decided  and  stronger  in  color,  and  I  can 
clearly  see  in  some  specimens  that  the  spots  are  compound  or  an  indistinct 
quincunx  arrangement.  The  Namaycush  spawn  only  in  the  fall,  begin- 
ning in  October.  AVe  have  just  taken  half  a  million  eggs.  The  Siscowet, 
I  am  told  by  the  fisherman  and  Indians,  are  always  spawning,  or  that  ripe 
females  are  taken  at  all  times  of  the  year.  At  first  I  thought  this  an  ex- 
aggeration, but  I  find  it  so  very  universally  reported  and  by  reliable  men 
that  I  give  it  credence.  They  are  very  rarely  found  at  the  lower  parts  of 
the  lake.  They  begin  to  be  more  plentiful  as  La  Pointe  is  reached  and 
most  plentiful  along  the  north  shores  and  Isle  Royale,  but  still  they  are  a 
rare  fish,  comparatively.  If  one  barrel  of  Siscowet  to  fifteen  Namaycush 
are  caught,  they  are  said  to  be  very  abundant.  They  are  so  much  prized 
that  they  bring  a  higher  price,  and  it  is  rare  that  we  get  them  here  unless 
in  winter  time,  when  they  are  frozen  and  brought  down  fresh.  A  pecu- 
liarity I  have  noticed  is,  in  winter  when  pulled  out  on  the  ice  they  puff  up 
like  a  pouter  pigeon  full  of  air  around  the  pectoral  region,  and  when  frozen 
can  be  instantly  distinguished  at  a  glance.  They  rarely  exceed  thirty 
jjounds  in  weight  and  thirty-six  inches  in  length,  I  am  told  by  those  very 
familiar  with  the  fishes  of  the  lake.  On  the  same  authority  I  learn  that 
Namaycush  reach  ninety  pounds  in  weight  and  six  feet  in  length." 


THK  KASTKKN  UKOOK  TUOIT. 


THE  BROOK  TROUTS  OR  CHARS. 


Here  comes  another  trout  that  I  must  tickle,  and  tickle  daintily.    I've  lost  my  end  lUc. 

Ueaumost  am>  Fletcher. 


/^UR  Brook  Trouts  belong  to  the  division  of  the  Salmon  family  known  to 
^"^the  English  as  "  Chars,"  a  group  confined,  for  the  most  part  to  fresh- 
water lakes  and  streams,  and  distinguished  from  the  true  Salmons  by  a 
peculiar  arrangement  of  teeth  on  the  vomer,  antl  also  by  their  very  small 
scales,  and  usually  by  numerous  crimson  or  orange-colored  sj)ots,  which 
are  especially  conspicuous  in  the  breeding  season.  The  Chars  of  Europe 
are,  as  a  rule,  lake  fishes  like  the  Saibling.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Chars 
of  North  America  are  usually  found   in  streams  and   rivers. 

There  is  probably  no  group  of  fishes  in  which  individual  specimens 
and  communities  inhabiting  certain  areas  of  water  show  more  tendency 
to  variations  in  color  and  form  than  they  do  in  the  salmon  family.  Dr. 
CLinther  has  very  justly  remarked  :  "  We  know  of  no  other  group  of  fishes 
■which  offers  so  many  difficulties  to  the  ichthyologist  with  regard  to  the 
distinction  of  the  species  as  well  as  to  certain  i)oints  in  their  life-history. 
Although  this  may  be  partly  due  to  the  unusual  attention  which  has  been 
given  to  their  study,  it  has  revealed  rather  a  greater  amount  of  unexplained 
fact  than  a  satisfactory  solution  of  the  questions  raised.  The  almost  in- 
finite variations  of  these  fishes  are  dependent  upon  the  age,  sex,  and 
sexual  development,  food,  and  the  properties  of  the  water." 

The  tendency  of  modern  ichthyology,  with  its  more  exact  methotls,  and 


47° 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


I 

/ 


with  access  to  better  ami  more  comprehensive  material  for  research  than 
was  formerly  available,  has  led  to  the  rejection  of  many  of  the  nominal 
species  formerly  recognized.  Out  of  the  forty-three  species  of  Salmon  ten 
years  ago  believed  to  exist  in  North  America,  only  thirteen  or  fourteen 
are  now  recognized.  In  Giinther's  catalogue  of  "The  Fishes  in  the 
British  Museum,"  published  in  iS86,  thirty-one  species  of  Chars  were 
mentioned,  while  in  his  lately  published  "Study  of  Fishes"  the  same 
author  ventures  to  enumerate  only  thirteen,  all  others  being  regarded  as 
insufficiently  characterized.  In  his  treatment  of  the  Chars  of  Europe, 
Giinther  is,  notwithstanding,  one  of  the  most  conservative  writers,  for  he 
catalogues  eight  species  of  these  fish,  wiiile  most  other  European  students, 
following  the  lead  of  the  great  Cierman  ichthyologists.  Von  Siebold,  re- 
gard them  as  members  of  one  polymorphic  species.  The  sympathies  of 
most  American  ichthyologists  are,  naturally,  with  the  school  of  Von  Siebold. 
It  is  difficult  to  believe,  in  the  light  of  our  own  observations  upon  the 
salmon  family  in  America,  that  every  little  lake  or  group  of  lakes  in 
Europe  possesses  a  well-characterized  species  of  fish,  and  for  the  present 
it  seems  safer  to  consider  the  Chars  of  Europe  to  be  of  a  single  well-marked 
species  which  undergoes  numerous  variations  under  the  influence  of  changes 
in  temperature,  elevation,  food,  and  light,  and  that  the  Saibling  of  Bavaria 
and  Austria  is  one  and  the  same  thing  with  the  "Ombre  Chevalier"  of 
France  and  Switzerland,  "  Salmario  "  of  Northern  Italy,  the  "Torgoch" 
of  Wales,  the  fresh-water  "  Herring"  of  Ireland,  the  "  Char  "  of  England 
and  Scotland,  the  "  Roding"  of  Sweden,  and  the  "  Kulmund "  of 
Norway. 

SPECIES    OF    SALVELINUS. 


S.  M.\LMA. 


,1.     Hyoiil  teeth  ;  back  never  mottleil. 

ii.     Siilxipercle  nearly  as  deep  as  lun^;,  without  conspicuous  striations. 

/'.     Gill-rakers  fewer  than  zo;  habitat  Western  America  ;  migratory,  cocca  25-46. 
M>.    Gill-rakers  more  than  zo;  habitat  Eastern  America. 
c.     Migratory:  species  very  large;  usually  spawning  in  large  streams  and  then  going  to  sea. 

gill-rakers  9-15  ;  caeca  30-35,  S.  STAGNALIS. 

cc.     Land-locked  ;  species  medium  size  or  small. 
(/.     Hack  blue  ;  caudal  not  tipped  with  white  in  young  ;  size  very  small ;  gill-rakers  9-15  ;  coeca  38. 

S.  OgUASSA. 
(/(/.     Caudal  tipped  with  white  in  youug ;  size  medium  or  large, 
i'.     Introduced  species;  19  gill-rakers  below  angle  ;  stomach  slender  ;  hyoids  in  a  very  narrow 

band  ;  cteca  40-42.  S.  ALPINUS. 

Native  species,  14  gill-rakers  below  angle  ;  stomach  stout ;  hyoids  in  a  broad  band  ;  young 

■'     ■      '    '  S.  AGASSIZIl. 


with  clmuled  parr-marks  ;  gill-rakers  7-10-9-14  ;  cccca  49. 
ita.     Subopercle  twice  ;'s  long  as  deep,  conspicuously  striated. 

y.     Ked  spotted  ;  size  very  large  ;  gill-rakers,  in  young,  8-12  ;  coeca  36 
^.     No  red  sp.jts  ;  size  small  ;  cosca  31-44. 
.  /./.     Hyoids  absent  (usually):  back  mottled,  e.\cept  in  sea-run  examples. 
i^     Gill-rakers  10  below  angle;  stomach  very  stout/  coeca  44. 


S.  ROSSII. 
S.  ARCTURUS. 


S.  FONTINALIS. 

Salvelinus  fontinalis,  the  best  known  of  our  Red  Spotted  Trouts,  the 


THE  BROOK  TROUTSi  OR  C/fARS, 


471 


Spccklc'tl  Trout  or  Brook  Trout  ot'  the  Mast.  Its  home  is  l)ct\VL'c'i\  lati- 
tudes 3J'j°  ami  55",  in  the  lakes  an<l  streams  of  the  Atlantic  watershed, 
near  the  scMirces  of  a  few  riv(^rs  flowing  into  the  Mississippi  and  the  (lulf 
of  Mexico,  and  in  some  of  the  southern  aflluents  of  Hudson  l»ay.  Its 
range  is  limited  by  the  western  foot-hills  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  nowhete 
extenils  more  than  three  hundred  miles  from  the  coast,  ex(e])t  ahout  the 
(Ireat  Lakes,  in  the  northern  tributaries  of  which  Trout  abound.  At  the 
South  it  inhabits  the  headwaters  of  the  Chattahooihee,  in  the  southern 
spurs  of  the  (leorgia  Alleghanies,  and  tributaries  of  the  Catawba  in  \orth 
Carolina.  It  also  occurs  in  the  great  islands  in  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence — 
Anticosti,  Prince  Edward,  Cape  lireton  and  Newfoundland. 

bean  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  although  this  species  usually  has 
no  trace  of  hyoid  teeth,  he  has  seen  specimens  from  Labrador,  about  10 
per  cent  of  which  i)ossessed  a  few  (never  more  than  three)  weak  teeth  on 
the  hyoid  bone,  while  occasional  examples  from  New  York  and  Massa- 
chusetts show  the  same  abnormality,  anil  farther  to  the  southward  the 
normal  condition  is  permanent. 

Tem[)erature  is  a  prime  factor  in  determining  the  distribution  of  this 
species,  and  since  few  observations  have  been  made  in  the  fieM,  our  con- 
clusions must  needs  rest  on  a  study  of  the  species  in  domestication,  an 
instructive  though  not  entirely  reliable  method.  The  experience  of 
Messrs.  Cireen,  Stone  and  Ainsworth,  indicates  that  Trout  cannot  thrive 
in  water  warmer  than  68°  Fahrenheit,  though  they  have  l)een  known  to 
live  in  swift-running  water  at  75°.  Fishes  hatched  in  artificial  ponds 
may  probably  be  inured  to  greater  warmth  than  wild  fislies  can  endure, 
and  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  latter  are  often  found  in  water  warmer  than 
60°  or  65°.  At  the  0(piossoc  and  Cold  Spring  hatching  establishments 
the  water  ranges  from  45°  to  49°  throughout  the  year.  Below  36"^  'I'rout 
are  torpid  and  refuse  to  feed,  and  instances  are  on  record  of  their  reviv- 
ing after  being  frozen  stiff.  The  remarkable  variations  in  the  habits  of 
Trout  in  different  regions  aro  easier  to  understand  in  the  light  of  these 
tacts.  In  the  Long  Island  region  Trout  live  in  salt  water  in  the  coldest 
months,  when  its  temperature  is  below  50°.  North  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy, 
at  the  entrance  of  which  the  water  barely  registers  50°  in  midsummer, 
they  inhabit  the  ocean  abundantly,  except  at  the  spawning  time.  South 
of  New  York  the  coast-reaches  of  the  rivers  appear  to  present  a  barrier  of 
warm  water  which  the  Salmon  do  not  seek  to  penetrate  from  without,  and 


I 


47* 


AMERICAN  I'lSllES. 


\vhi(  li  immures  the  Trout  in  their  liomes  in  the  hill  country  as  closely  as 
would  a  mountain  wall.  Dititicult  Run,  a  few  miles  above  Washington,  is 
a  natural  Trout  stream,  and  the  species  occurs  in  other  streams  near  Balti- 
more and  Washington. 

When  'I'rout  have  no  access  to  the  sea  they  still  contrive  to  avoid  n 
(  liange  of  tenii)erature  with  the  seasons.  In  midsummer  they  lie  in  the 
bottoms  of  lakes  ( ooled  by  springs,  in  the  channels  of  streams,  or  in  deep 
pools,  lurking  behind  rocks  and  among  roots.  In  spring  and  early  sum- 
mer they  feed  inilustriously  among  the  rapids.  At  the  approach  of  cold 
weather  in  autumn  they  hasten  to  the  clear  shallow  water  near  the  heads 
of  the  streamlets.  It  is  at  this  time  that  they  deposit  their  eggs  in  little 
nests  in  the  gravel  which  the  mother-fish  have  shaped  with  cartful  in- 
dustry, fanning  out  the  finer  i)articles  with  their  tails,  and  carrying  the 
large  ones  in  their  mouths.  After  the  eggs  are  laid,  the  jjarent  fish  covers 
them  with  gravel,  and  i)roceeds  to  excavate  another  nest.  The  same  nests 
are  said  to  be  revisited  by  the  schools  year  after  year. 

The  spawning  season  begins  in  New  England  in  October,  continuing 
from  three  to  six  months,  and  during  this  period  the  fish  should  be  pro- 
tected by  stringent  laws.  Mr.  Livingston  Stone  observed  that  in  his 
])onds  at  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  spawning  began  October  12  and  ended 
early  in  December;  at  Seth  Green's  establishment,  near  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
it  began  on  the  same  day,  and  continued  until  March.  At  the  former 
station  spring  water,  with  a  uniform  temperature  of  47°,  was  in  use, 
while  at  Caledonia  the  eggs  were  kept  in  brook  water,  which  is  colder  in 
midwinter,  retarding  development. 

Trout  eggs  are  usually  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  although 
varying  greatly,  and  are  colorless,  red  or  orange-hued.  The  (juantity 
yielded  by  a  fish  is  in  direct  i)roportion  to  its  size,  the  average  being  from 
four  to  six  hundred.  Mr.  Stone  took  sixty  from  a  half-ounce  fish,  and 
eighteen  hundred  from  one  which  weighed  a  jjound.  The  eggs  having 
been  laid,  their  time  of  develoi)ment  depends  strictly  on  the  temi)erature 
of  the  water.  According  to  Mr.  Ainsworth,  they  will  hatch  in  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  days  with  the  mercury  at  37°,  one  hundred  and  three 
at  41°,  eighty-one  at  44°,  fifty-six  at  48°,  forty-seven  at  50°,  thirty-two 
at  54°,  &c.  Seth  Green's  rule  is  that  at  50°  they  hatch  in  fifty  days, 
every  degree  warmer  or  colder  making  a  difference  of  five  days.  After 
the  eggs  are   hatched  the  yolk  sac  is  absorbed   in   from  thirty  to  eiglny 


THE  BROOK  TROi'TS  OK  ClfARS. 


473 


(lays,  and  tlic  yoiinj,'  fish  begin  to  U-ad  an  iiuk'pcndcnt  lifo.  Now  the 
rate  of  growth  is  deternuned  l»y  tlie  amount  (»f  food  < onstuued.  Some 
two-year-old  fish  weigh  a  pound,  some  half  an  oiin(  e,  as  Mr.  Stone's  ex- 
perienf'e  show.  In  domestication  growth  is  morce»en.  Mr.  .Ainsworth's 
estimate  allows  an  average  of  two  ounces  for  yearlings,  a  (piarter  of  a 
jxtimd  for  two-year-olds,  half  a  pound  for  three-year-olds,  and  a  pound 
for  four-year-olds.  \\\V\  fish  often  grow  intic  h  faster.  One  of  a  large 
number  of  Rangely  'Irout,  tagged  by  Mr.  (leorge  She|»ard  I'age  in  1S71, 
and  caught  in  1S73,  was  found  to  have  grown  in  two  years  from  half  a 
l)ound  to  two  pounds  and  one-(piarter.  All  two-year-old  'I'rout  and  some 
yearlings  can  rejiroduce  their  kind. 

The  best   description  of  the  spawning    habits   is   that   by  James   \\ . 
Miles: 

"  His  whole  wooing  is  the  most  jiolite  attention  and  the  gentlest  of 
persuasions.  He  moves  continually  to  and  fro  before  his  mate,  parading 
his  bright  colors,  while  she  rests  (piietly,  with  her  head  up  stream,  vibrat- 
ing her  fins  just  sufficiently  to  keep  her  tVom  floating  down.  At  Water- 
ville,  Wis.,  I  had  the  op|)ortunity  of  watching  theii  habits.  A  i)air  of 
large  Trout  had  selected  a  spot  near  the  bank  of  the  stream,  where  the 
water  was  about  ten  inches  deep.  The  female  had  f.mned  the  gravel  with 
her  tail  and  anal  fin  until  it  was  clean  and  white,  and  had  siuceedeil  in 
excavating  a  cavity.  They  were  frightened  away  as  I  came  to  the  edge 
of  the  bank.  Concealing  myself  behind  a  willow  bush,  1  watched  their 
movements.  The  male  returned  first,  reconnoitering  the  vicinity,  and, 
.satisfying  himself  that  the  coast  was  clear,  spent  a  half  hour  in  endeavor- 
ing to  coa.\  the  female  to  enter  the  nest.  She,  resting  half  concealed 
in  the  weeds,  a  few  feet  away,  seemed  unwilling  to  be  convinced  that  the 
danger  was  gone  ;  and  he,  in  his  full,  bright  colors,  sailed  backwar<l  and 
forward  from  the  nest  to  his  mate,  rubbing  himself  against  her,  and  swim- 
ming off  again  in  a  wide  circle  close  along  the  bank,  as  if  to  show  her 
how  far  he  could  venture  without  finding  danger.  She  finally  entered  the 
nest." 

Brook  Trout  seldom  exceed  two  or  three  pounds,  and  a  five-pounder  is 
thought  a  monster.  St.  Lawrence  Sea  Trout  usually  weigh  two  and  one- 
half  pounds,  though  they  are  not  seldom  caught  weighing  si.x  or  eight. 
A  famous  locality  for  large  fish  is  the  headwaters  of  the  Androscoggin 
River  in  Northwestern  Maine.  Prof.  Agassiz,  in  i860,  obtained  one  of 
them  which  weighed  eleven  pounds.  The  well-known  specimen  taken 
by  Mr.   George  Shepard  Page   in   1S67,  in  Rangely  Lake,  weighed  ten 


J     i 


474 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


pounds  after  three  clays'  captivity,  and  was  thought  by  experts  to  have 
Ujst  a  pound  and  a  half  in  transit  from  Maine  to  New  Jersey,  where  it 
died.  Its  length  was  thirty  inches,  and  its  circumference  eighteen. 
Another,  from  Mooselucmaguntic,  weighed  eight  and  one-half  pounds, 
and  measured  twenty-five  inches.  The  Nepigon  River  claims  still  heavier 
fish.      Hallock  mentions  one  said  to  have  weighed  seventeen  pounds. 

There  are  many  local  races  of  Trout ;  the  same  stream  often  contains 
dissimilar  forms,  and  those  bred  in  different  hatcheries  may  easily  be  dis- 
tinguished. Whoever  has  seen  the  display  at  the  April  opening  of  the 
trout  season  at  Mr.  Blackford's,  in  Fulton  Market,  N.  Y. ,  can  under- 
stand the  possibility  of  almost  infinite  variety  in  form  and  tint  within  the 
limits  of  one  species.  Fish  inhabiting  swift  streams  have  lithe,  trim 
bodies  and  long,  powerful  fins ;  those  in  c^uiet  lakes  are  stout,  short- 
finned,  and  often  overgrown.  In  cool,  limpid  brooks,  with  sunlight, 
much  oxygen,  and  stimulating  food,  their  skins  are  transparent  and  their 
hues  vivid  ;  in  dark,  sluggish  ])ools  they  are  somber  and  slimy,  and  are 
called  "Black  Trout."  Agassiz  noticed  that  those  of  the  same  river 
varied  accordingly  as  they  haunted  its  sunny  "or  shady  side.  They  have 
the  power  of  changing  their  tint  at  will.  The  influence  of  the  nerves 
over  color  was  neatly  demonstrated  by  M.  Pouchet,  who  produced  a 
white  side  in  a  Trout  by  destroying  the  eye  of  that  side.  In  the  .sea,  for 
reasons  unexplained,  both  Trout  and  Salmon  lose  their  gay  colors  and 
become  uniform  silvery  gray,  with  black  spots.  In  the  sea,  too,  the  flesh 
assumes  a  reddish  color,  due  no  doubt  to  the  absorption  of  the  pigments 
of  crabs  and  shrimps  eaten  by  the  fish.  Red  flesh  is  also  found  in  some 
inland  races. 

Our  Trout  are  strong  feeders,  but  are  dainty  rather  than  greedy.  They 
consume  moderate  quantities  of  food,  and  it  suits  their  capricious  ap- 
petites to  seize  their  prey  while  living.  They  take  objects  at  the  surface 
with  an  upward  leap,  instead  of  downward  from  al)ove  like  the  Salmon. 
Of  all  foods  they  prefer  the  worms  washed  out  of  the  bank,  then  gayly 
colored  flies,  water  insects,  little  fishes,  larva;;  and  the  eggs  of  fishes. 
Those  in  domestication  are  usually  fed  on  the  heart,  liver  and  lungs  of 
animals  killed  for  the  market. 

Their  daintiness,  shyness,  cunning  and  mettle  render  them  favorites  of 
the  angler,  who  lures  them  into  his  creel  by  many  sly  devices.  The  most 
skillful  fisherman  is  he  who  places  before  them  least  obtrusively  the  bait 


THE  BROOK  TROUTS  OR  CHARS. 


475 


which  their  momentary  whims  demand,  or  a  clever  imitation  thereof. 
Trout  are  always  in  season  from  April  to  August,  and  in  some  States  for  a 
longer  period. 

The  Eastern  Brook  Trout  must  have  been  discovered  by  the  first  settlers 
of  North  America  soon  after  their  coming  to  the  New  Worltl  ;  yet, 
strange  to  say,  the  only  allusion  to  it  in  colonial  times  is  in  the  "  Re- 
monstrance of  New  Netherland,"  addressed  by  that  colony  to  the  States 
(General  in  1649.  It  was  first  brought  before  the  world  of  science  in  1814, 
wlien  Dr.  Mitchill  named  li  Saliiio  foiiti/ialis,  a  name  which  has  become 
almost  classical.  Our  ichthyologists  having  recently  decided  that  its 
technical  name  shall  be  Salrc/iniis,  a  wail  has  arisen  from  our  anglers, 
and  the  ever  witty  Charles  Hallock  has  voiced  the  general  discontent  in 
his  rhythmical  protest,  beginning  "I  am  Salmo  fontinalis,"*  which  con- 
cludes as  follows : 

"  No  fulsome  titles  do  I  covet, 
Sci<jnce  holds  no  bribe  for  me. 
Slavery  for  those  who  love  it. 
From  nomenclature  leave  me  free, 
Vet  they  call  me  Salveliniis. 
Can  you  fancy  sin  more  heinous." 

They  have  always  been  the  pets  of  fish-culturists  ;  indeed,  the  experi- 
ments of  Dr.  Garlick  and  Prof.  Ackley,  who  inaugurated  in  1853  the 
practice  of  pisciculture  in  America,  were  made  with  this  fish.  They  become 
thoroughly  domesticated,  and  are  as  much  under  the  control  of  their 
owner  as  his  horses  and  cattle.  They  have  been  acclimatized  in  England 
since  1868,  and  are  always  on  exhibition  in  the  aquaria  of  the  museum  of 
fish-culture  at  South  Kensington. 


TIIK.  .MAI..MA  TROCT. 


The   Malma   Trout,    Salveliiuis   malma,  is  the  most  important  of  our 


*Amcrican  Allele)-  ii,  247. 


476 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


.*w'  .^ 


chars,  next  to  the  Eastern  Brook  Trout.  It  occurs  in  Northern  California, 
west  of  the  Cascade  Range,  is  abundant  throughout  the  Aleutian  Islands, 
and  northward  to  Colville  River  in  Alaska,  and  has  been  found  at  Behring 
Island  by  Stejreger,  and  at  Plover  Bay,  Siberia,  by  Bean. 

It  is  known  as  the  "Lake  Trout,"  "  Bull  Trout,"  "  Speckled  Trout," 
antl  "  Red-spotted  Trout."  In  the  ocean,  where  it  is  found  in  large 
numbers,  it  is  the  "  Salmon  Trout."  In  the  Sacramento  Valley  the  ridicu- 
lous and  inappropriate  name  "Dolly  Varden,"  is  still  retained.  In 
Siberia  it  was  formerly  known  as  the  "  Malma "  or  "Golet."  The 
Indian  name  "  Chewagh  "  is  ascribed  to  it  in  British  Columbia.  In  size 
this  species  reaches  a  weight  of  fourteen  pounds.  The  largest  seen  by 
Jordan  weighed  twelve  pounds,  a  weight  which  is  not  uncommon  in  the 
ocean.  "  In  the  lakes,"  writes  Jordan,  "  it  averages  smaller,  and  in  the 
mountain  streams  it  breeds  at  a  length  of  six  or  eight  inches.  In  all  these 
peculiarities  it  agrees  with  its  near  relative,  the  common  Brook  Trout  of 
the  Atlantic  coast.  It  ranges  from  the  upper  waters  of  the  Sacramento  to 
Komtchatka  on  the  west  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  chain,  and  for  the 
most  part  in  and  west  of  the  Cascade  range.  From  Puget  Sound  north- 
ward it  is  generally  abundant.  It  feeds  voraciously  in  the  salt  water  on 
smelt  of  various  sorts,  young  Trout,  sand  lances,  shrimps,  anchovies, 
herrings  and  even  sticklebacks.  In  fresh  water  it  probably  eats  what- 
ever living  thing  it  can  get.  Nothing  is  certainly  known  of  their  breed- 
ing habits.  They  probably  spawn  late  in  the  fall  in  the  river,  and  there- 
fore those  which  are  in  the  sea  must  be  to  some  extent  migratory.  They 
are  taken  in  Frazer  River  at  the  time  of  the  eulachon  run,  but  they  proba- 
bly then  ascend  the  river  to  feed  upon  the  eulachon,  and  not  for  spawn- 
ing purposes.     As  a  food-fish  this  beautiful  species  ranks  high." 


THE  GKF.EXLAXD  TROUT. 

Bean  adds   that  this  Trout  reaches  its  greatest  size  northward  ;  it  is 


THE  BROOK  TROUTS  OR  CHARS. 


477 


extensively  salted  at  Kodiak  in  the  sea-run  condition  under  the  name  of 
Salmon  Trout.  Examples  of  twenty-four  inches  in  length  are  known. 
The  Greenland  Trout,  Salvelinus  sfagnalis,  a  native  of  Arctic- 
America,  is  believed  by  Bean  to  be,  with  little  doubt,  the  "  Sea  Trout  " 
of  Labrador,  and  of  Canada.  It  rivals  the  Atlantic  Salmon  in  size,  and 
has  no  near  connection  with  the  "  Sea  Trout  "  of  Europe.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  know  that  the  anglers  have  probably  been  in  the  right  and  the 
ichthyologists  wrong  in  regard  to  this  interesting  species,  concerning 
which  as  yet  we  know  very  little.  Hallock  and  others  of  our  anglers 
have  described  its  qualities  as  an  angling  fish  very  fully.  S.  sfagna/is 
occurs  in  the  lakes  of  Greenland.  The  National  Museum  has  specimens 
from  Disko,  taken  by  Ensign  Dresel,  and  from  Labrador,  obtained  by 
Turner. 


THK  OQUASSA  OR  BLfE  BACK  TROUT. 

Salvelinus  oquassa,  inhabits  the  lakes  in  Western  Maine  ;  thence  intro- 
duced into  New  York  and  New  Hampshire.  This  is,  says  Bean,  a  small 
species,  not  known  to  exceed  ten  inches  in  length  from  existing  collections. 
It  is  probably  a  land-locked  form  of  S.  stagnalis,  and  specimens  of  much 
larger  size  may  be  expected.  Its  distribution,  also,  will  be  found  to  be 
more  extensive. 

Closely  related  to  the  Oquassa  is  the  Saiblmg,  introduced  into  Massa- 
chusetts, New  York,  New  Hampshire  and  Wisconsin,  which,  according 
to  Bean,  closely  resembling  some  of  our  native  Chars  as  to  make  its 
recognition  difficult.  A  hybrid  between  the  Saibling  and  our  common 
Brook  Trout  has  further  increased  the  trouble  of  identification. 

This  form,  whether  it  be  regarded  as  a  single  species  or  several  related 
species,  is  distributed  over  all  of  Northwestern  Europe,  and  possibly  also 
over  a  portion  of  Asia,  although,  since  the  Asiatic  representatives  of  the 


478 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


genus  have  not  been  sufficiently  studied,  it  is  imijossible  yet  to  make  this 
generalization.  They  are,  emphatically,  cold  water  fishes,  thriving  at  a 
temperature  little  above  the  freezing  point,  and  in  their  ])eriod  of  greatest 
vigor  and  perfection  at  the  approach  of  winter,  as  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
that  at  this  time  tlieir -spawning  takes  ])lace.  No  fish  of  any  kind  has  ever 
been  found  nearer  to  the  North  Pole  than  the  Char,  a  species,  Salvclinus 
arcfiirus,  having  been  discovered  by  the  last  English  polar  expedition  in 
12°  north  of  the  Arctic  Circle.  In  the  South  of  Europe  its  range  is  limited 
by  the  Alps,  and  in  this  region  its  study  has  brought  to  light  a  very  curious 
fact  which  confirms  still  more  strongly  the  idea  just  sjioken  of,  that  the 
fish  thrive  the  best  in  a  very  cold  climate.  In  the  extreme  north  and  in 
the  extreme  south  this  fish  reaches  its  greatest  perfection. 


THE  OMBRE  CHEVALIER  OR  8AIBLIXG. 


The  Saibling  has  been  propagated  by  German  fish-culturists  for  a  period 
of  ten  years  or  more,  and  thrive  magnificently  in  captivity.  The  hatch- 
ery at  Oussee,  in  Germany,  produces  yearly  three  or  four  hundred  thousand 
of  artificially-brooded  Saibling,  and  plants  them  in  the  neighboring  lakes. 
In  the  tanks  at  the  late  International  Fishery  Exhibition  in  Berlin  were 
exhibited  many  superb  specimens  of  this  fish,  some  of  them  over  two  feet 
in  length,  and  one  of  these  was  sent  to  the  National  Museum  by  Herr  von 
Behr,  president  of  the  Deutscher  Fischeri  Verein. 

In  selecting  a  place  in  which  to  deposit  the  Saibling  eggs  received  in 
January,  1887,  the  Commissioner  of  Fisheries  has  endeavored  to  find  a 
lake  as  similar  as  possible  in  depth  and  temperature  to  the  larger  Swiss 
lakes,  and  he  has,  therefore,  sent  them  to  Lake  Winnipseogee,  N.  H. 
Here  the  whole  sixty  thousand  were  planted,  with  the  hope  that  placing  so 
large  a  number  together  in  a  lake  of  moderate  size  the  experiment  of  intro- 


THE  BROOK  TROUTS  OR  CHARS. 


479 


duction  may  be  a  success,  and  this  hope  was  realized,  for  they  proved 
satisfactorily  hardy,  and  on  December  3,  1883,  about  600  eggs  were  taken 
by  Commissioner  Hodge. 

There  are  three  other  little  known  fishes  of  this  group,  now  under  study 
by  Dr.  Bean. 

Salvelimis  Rossii,  which  occurs  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  about  Boothia  Fe- 
lix, has  recently  been  detected  by  him  in  the  province  of  Leubec,  Canada. 
It  is  a  very  large  species,  reaching  more  than  two  feet  in  length,  accord- 
ing to  Richardson.  The  best  distinguishing  character  is  the  shape  and 
striation  of  the  opercular  bones. 

Another  is  Salvclinus  arcturus,  which  has  been  taken  in  Victoria  Lake, 
and  Flocking  Beach,  Arctic  America,  and  is  the  northernmost  salmonoid 
known.  This  he  remarked  may  be  one  of  the  forms  of  siagnalis,  but 
specimens  with  red  spots  are  still  unknown.  Last  of  all  is  the  Sunapee 
Trout,  S.  Agassizii,  a  form  little  understood,  occurring  in  Sunapee  Loke, 
N.  H.,  which  is  being  investigated  by  Prof.  Quackenbos,  Col.  Hodges  and 
Dr.  Bean. 


THE  OORBUSCHA  SALMON. 

THE  PACIFIC  SALMON. 


So  dainty  Salmons,  chevins  thunder-scar'd, 
Feast-famous  sturgeons,  lampreys  speckled-star'd 
In  the  spring  season  the  rough  sea  forsake 
And  in  the  rivers  thousand  pleasures  take. 

Du  Baktas  :   The  Divine  Week. 


"1TI7E  have  upon  our  Pacific  coast  four  species  of  the  genus  Oncorhynchiis, 
which  is  also  abundant  in  the  waters  of  Northwestern  Asia.  Having 
never  seen  one  of  them,  except  in  bottles  of  spirits,  I  shall  quote  literally 
from  the  writings  of  Jordan,  and  from  the  notes  furnished  me  by  Dr. 
Bean,  who  has  tabulated  the  principal  characters  as  follows  : 


SPECIES    OF   ON'CORHVN'CHUS. 


1. 

aa. 


A.    Scales  sm.iU,  lateral  line  more  than  200. 
AA.    Scales  large,  125  to  155. 
Gill-rakers  long,  30  to  40. 

Gill-rakers  short,  20  to  25. 
b.     Pyloric  coeca  50  to  80. 
bb.     Pyloric  coeca  140  or  more. 
c.    Anal  rays  13  to  14  :  branchiostegals  13  to  14. 
cc.    Anal  rays  16  :  branchiostegals  15  to  19. 


O.  GORBUSCHA. 

O.  NERKA. 

O.  KISUTCH. 

O.  KETA. 
O.  CHOUICHA. 


The  Gorbuscha,  Oncorhynchiis  gorlmsclia,  is  still  known  to  the  Russians 
as  in  the  time  of  Pennant  and  Pallas  by  the  name  of  "  Gorbuscha,"  ^  "/' 
meaning  hump.  The  English-speaking  people  call  it  generally  the 
"  Hump-back  Salmon,"  and  often  the  "  Dog  Salmon."  On  Frazer  River 
it  is  known  as  "Holia"  or  "Hone"  Salmon,  and  on  Puget  Sound  as 
the  "  Haddoh."     This  is  one  of  the  smallest  Salmons,  not  averaging  over 


THE  PACIFIC  SALMON. 


48 1 


four  or  five  pounds,  and  probably  never  exceeding'  ten.  It  rans^^es  from 
the  Sacramento  River  to  Alaska,  liehring  Island  and  Kamtchatka.  In  tiie 
Sacramento  and  Columbia  it  is  only  an  estray,  on  the  latter  river  l)eing 
sometimes  called  "  Lost  Salmon."  In  Tuget  Sound  it  runs  in  large  num- 
bers in  late  summer  and  fall,  like  the  Keta  or  Dog  Salmon,  as(  ending 
every  little  stream.  Its  run  in  Puget  S(nnid  takes  place  on  alternate  years,. 
a  fact  which  seems  to  be  well  established.  It  was  very  plenty  in  1S79. 
None  were  noticed  in  1880,  but  stragglers  are  occasionally  taken  during 
the  year  of  scarcity.  A  few  were  seen  by  us  on  the  Columbia  and  Sacra- 
mento. We  are  told  that  this  species  runs  every  year  in  Alaska.  During 
its  run  in  Puget  Sound  the  females  are  canned,  and  the  males  are  thrown 
away  or  given  to  the  Indians.  The  flesh  is  then  pale,  and  the  canned 
jiroduct  is  inferior  in  (piality.  In  economic-  valiie,  the  Hump-back  Sal- 
mon is  far  inferior  to  the  Quinnat,  the  Blue-back  and  the  Silver  Salmon, 
and,  like  the  Dog  Salmon,  is  mainly  useful  in  furnishing  a  winter  supply 
of  food  to  the  Indians. 


THK  XKRKA  SALMON. 

The  Nerka  or  Blue-back  Salmon,  Oncorhynchus  ncrka,  writes  Jordan, 
known  as  the  "Red-fish"  to  the  English-speaking  inhabitants  of  Alaska 
and  Kamtchatka,  and  to  the  Russians,  now  as  in  the  time  of  Pennant  and 
Pallas,  as  "  Krasnaya  Ryba,"  which  signifies  red-fish,  the  name  having 
reference  to  the  color  of  the  flesh.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  other  species 
are  occasionally  confounded  under  this  name,  but  there  is  little  doubt 
that  the  present  species  is  the  one  to  which  it  is  chiefly  applied.  On 
Frazer  River,  where  this  species  is  the  most  important  Salmon,  it  is  known 
as  the  "  Suk-kegh,"  "  Saw-quai  "  or  '•  Suck- eye."  Elsewhere  in  Puget 
Sound  it  is  rarely  seen.  In  the  Lower  Columbia  it  is  known  by  the  ap- 
propriate name  of  "  Blue-back  ;"  in  the  Upper  Columbia  as  "  Red-fish." 

31 


48: 


am/:k/cax  F/s/n-s. 


Its  average  weight  does  not  exceed  eight  pounds  and  its  extreme  weight 
is  probably  not  above  fifteen.  Its  range  is  from  the  Cohmibia  River,  the 
Yukon  and  Uihring  Ishmd  to  Japan  and  Kamtehatka.  It  runs  inconsider- 
able numbers  in  the  Columbia,  and  in  much  greater  abundance  in  Frazer 
River,  wliere  it  is  the  })rincipal  s])ring  Salmon.  We  liave  no  informati(jn 
as  to  its  occurrence  in  California,  or  as  to  its  entrance  into  any  of  the 
streams  south  of  the  Columbia.  Like  the  (^uinnat  Salmon,  it  is  attracte<l 
in  early  s[)ring  into  all  those  streams  which  are  fed  by  the  melting  snows, 
and  into  no  others.  Its  run  in  sjiring  on  the  Columbia  is,  so  far  as  we 
know,  contemporaneous  with  that  of  the  Quinnat  Salmon.  The  num- 
bers are,  however,  much  less,  and  I  think  that  its  run  is  over,  earlier  in 
the  fall.  On  Frazer  River  it  runs  with  the  Quinnat,  or  a  little  earlier 
in  the  spring,  the  run  mostly  ceasing  in  midsummer,  while  that  of  the 
Quinnat  continues  on  through  the  fall  months.  This  species  and  the 
Quinnat  run  early  and  go  far  up  the  streams,  where,  after  si)awning, 
they  all  die.  In  Puget  Sound  this  species  is  not  known  to  the  fishermen, 
only  stray  individuals  being  taken  there.  It  does  not  accompany  the 
Silver  Salmon  and  Dog  Salmon  in  their  ascent  of  the  Dwamish,  Puyalliip 
and  other  small  streams  ;  neither  is  it  caught  near  the  shore  when  out  of 
the  spawning  season,  as  the  other  species  are.  In  Alaska  and  Kamt- 
ehatka we  are  told  that  the  Red-fish  [iierka)  and  King  Salmon  {^c/iarvyc/ui) 
run  in  spring  and  early  summer,  while  the  other  species  run  in  late  sum- 
mer and  fall,  the  Silver  Salmon  last. 


"•    1       I 


TlIK  KI.-<l.rCll  SALMON' 


The  Blue-back  is  the  most  graceful  of  the  Salmons  and  the  most  elegant 
in  color.  Its  flesh  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Quinnat,  but  less  firm 
and  more  watery,  and  it  is  not  tjuite  so  rich  when  canned,  though  in 
favor  because  of  its   red  color.     Next   to  the  Quinnat,   it  is   the  most 


THE  r.l CIJ-'IC SALMOX 


4-^3 


valuaDle  of  the  different  s]iciies.  nnd  its  inferiority  is  mainly  that  of  si/e. 
It  lias  been  artificially  propagated  by  the  Canadian  government. 

The  KibUtch,  or  Silver  Salmon.  Oncorhyncluis  kisiitch,  writes  b)rdan,  is 
almost  everywhere  known  by  the  name  of  ••  Silver  Salmon."  It  lias  also 
a  series  of  local  names.  In  Kamtehatka  it  is  still  known  by  the  name 
"Kisutch,"  in  use  in  Pennant's  time,  a  hundred  years  ago.  'Die  name 
*' Bielaya  Ryba,"  or  "White-fish,"  is  also  ascribed  to  it.  ( )n  Fra/er 
River  it  is  known  by  the  jNIiisiiuaw  name  of  "  (."oho  ;"  at  Seattle,  by  the 
Nis([iially  name  of  "  Skowitz  ;"  about  Cape  Idattery  by  the  Makah  name 
of  "  Hoopid  ;"  on  the  Columbia  it  is  called  "  Silver  Salmon  "  or  "  ^\'hite 
Salmon,"  and  southward  the  same  names  ]irevail.  It  reaches  a  weight  of 
twenty  pounds,  the  usual  range  being  from  seven  to  ten.  The  Silver 
Salmon  enters  all  the  rivers  from  Sacramento  to  Behring  Island  and  Kamt- 
ehatka. In  the  fall  it  is  abuntlant  in  in'obab'y  all  the  rivers.  Few  or 
none,  however,  are  seen  in  the  spring.  They  are  often  taken  with  seines 
in  Puget  Sound  at  all  seasons.  Like  the  other  fall-running  Salmon,  they 
seldom  ascend  the  rivers  to  any  great  distance. 


THK   KK.TV. 

The  Keta,  Oncorhynchus  kcta  (Walb.),  Gill  and  Jordan,  occurs  on  the 
Pacific  coast  from  San  Francisco  northward  to  Hotham  Inlet,  Alaska. 
This  species,  during  the  period  of  its  run  in  the  fall,  generally  goes  by 
the  name  of  "Dog  Salmon,"  under  which  name  the  males  of  the  Silver 
Salmon,  and  even  of  the  Quinnat,  are  often  confounded  with  it.  The 
Russians  now,  as  in  the  time  of  Pennant,  Pallas  and  Walbaum,  call  it 
"  Kayko,"  the  name  "Keta"  (whale)  being  no  longer  in  use.  On 
Frazer  River  the  name  (Musquaw)  is  now  "  Qualoch,"  at  Seattle  (Nis- 
qually)    "Ktla-why,"   and  in   the  Chinnook    jargon    "Le-Kai."     This 


484 


A.Ur<R/CAX  FISHES. 


spcric's  is  very  tiniforni  in  its  size,  and  averages  ten  to  twelve  pounds.      It 
is  seldom  or  never  seen  in  the  rivers  in  spring. 


TIIK  riKinciIA  OU  yUISXAT  SALMON. 

The  Quinnat  Salmon,  Oncorhynchus  choiiicha,  ascends  the  large  rivers 
of  California  anil  occurs  northward  to  the  Yukon  in  Alaska. 

This  is  the  largest  and  most  important  species  of  the  genus,  it  is  said  to 
reach  one  hundred  pounds  in  weight.  It  is  easil)-  caught  with  hook  and 
line  in  the  fresh-waters,  where  it  goes  to  dejjosit  its  eggs.  It  does  not 
readily  take  a  fly,  but  becomes  an  easy  victim  when  tempted  with  salmon 
roe,  which  is  the  most  effective  of  all  baits  for  catching  this  i.ih.  When 
prime  it  very  much  resembles  in  appearance  the  well  knov  n  Atlantic 
Salmon  {Salino  sa/ar)  in  the  same  condition,  with  this  excejjtion,  that  it 
has  on  its  back  and  sides  nearly  black,  star-like  spots,  while  the  Alantic 
Salmon,  when  fresh  from  the  ocean  has  none. 

The  California  Salmon  is  a  remarkable  fish,  and  has  an  extraordinary 
career.  Fifty  years  ago  it  was  hardly  known,  excejjt  to  students  of  natural 
history.  Now  it  is  known  and  eaten  almost  all  over  the  world,  for  there 
is  hardly  a  jiort  in  the  world  where  ships  have  not  carried  the  canned 
Salmon  of  the  Columbia,  which  is  the  same  fish  untler  a  different  name; 
and  not  only  has  this  fish,  in  the  form  of  fooil,  traveled  nearly  all  over  the 
world,  but  the  living  embryos  of  the  California  Salmon  have  been  trans- 
l)orted  to  England,  France,  Germany,  Belgium,  Denmark,  Russia,  Austra- 
lia, and  New  Zealand,  so  that  there  is  ])robably  no  one  fish  inhabiting  a 
limited  locality  which  is  known  over  the  world  in  so  many  different  places 
as  the  California  Salmon.  An  admirable  biograi)hy  of  this  species  by  Mr. 
Livingston  Stone,  may  be  found  in  the  Quarto  Fishery  Report. 


TllK  AlHTIC  (iltAYMXd. 


THE  GRAYLINGS. 


Kffigiens  ociilis  celeri  umbra  iiatatii. 


AusoNirs;    Tlu-  .\f,>sc!le. 


'TpWO  species  of  the  genus  Thymalhis  occur  in  Xortli  America,  one,  the 
Arctic   Cirayling    T.  sigvifcr,   the  other  the   Midiigan  (Irayling  T. 
tricolor,  the  diagnostic  characters  of  wliicli  are  thus  defined  by  Bean  : 

SPECIES  OF  C.KAVMNG. 

A.  Gill-rakers  22  ;  pyloric  cneca  19  ;  maxilla  ' ,  lieatl  :  mamlible  equal  to  anal  base  ;  eye  nearly  equal  tn  inter- 
orbital  space  ;  dorsal  when  laid  back  nut  reaching  adipose  lin.  T.  'IKlCdLOK. 

aa.  Gill-rakers  18  ;  pyloric  ca-ca  18  ;  3-10  head  ;  mandible  much  shorter  than  anal  base;  eye  much  less  than 
interorbital  space  ;  dorsal  when  laid  back  reaching  end  of  adipose  lin.  '1'.  Sit  IN  I  KKK. 

The  Arctic  Cirayling  was  first  found  by  Capt.  John  Franklin's  expedi- 
tion toward  the  North  Pole,  in  1S19,  and  called  Tliymalliis  signifer,  by 
Sir  John  Richardson,  who  thus  describes  its  discovery: 

"  This  very  beautiful  fisli  abounds  in  the  rocky  streams  that  flow  through 
the  primitive  country  lying  north  of  tlie  sixty-second  jjarallel  between 
-Mackenzie's  River  and  the  Wt-lcome.  Its  higidy  ai)])ropriate  Ivciuimaux 
name  ('  Hewlook-Powak,')  denoting  '  wing-like,'  alludes  to  its  niagiufii  ent 
dorsal,  and  it  was  in  reference  to  the  same  feature  that  I  bestow  upon  it  tlie 
specific  appellation  of  ..Syi,'-////<'r  or  the  'standard-bearer,'  intending  also  to 
advert  to  the  rank  of  my  companion,  Cajitain  Back,  then  a  midshipman, 
who  took  the  first  specimen  that  we  sawwith  the  artificial  fly.  It  is  founcl 
only  in  clear  waters,  and  seems  to  delight  in  the  most  rajiid  parts  of  the 
mountain  streams."  As  is  im])lied  in  tiiese  remarks,  this  sjiecies  is  re- 
markable for  its  immense  dorsal  fin,  which  is  nearly  twice  as  high  as  the 
bodv  <-f  the  fish. 


4S6 


.Df/'./x'/cLv  /'is/rr.s. 


It  is  found  generally  in  British  America  and  Alaska,  abuntlant  north- 
ward, anil  extending  to  the  extremity  of  the  territory. 


TlIK  TltlClll.lllt  fiRAYMNd. 

7V/i7//(j'////.r //-/(vAt  occurs  in  the  streams  of  the  southern  peninsula  of 
Miciiigan,  and  is  abundant  in  Ausable  River,  and  in  the  headwaters  of  the 
Missouri  in  >rontana. 

It  was  (.lescribed  by  Cope  in  1S65,  but  his  notice,  having  been  published 
in  the  proceedings  of  a  scientific  society  not  generally  read  by  sportsmen, 
attracted  but  little  attention.  Popular  interest  was  first  excited  in  1873, 
by  the  discussions  in  "  Forest  and  Stream,"  and  by  a  letter  from  Professor 
Agassiz,  published  extensively  in  the  daily  papers,  acknowledging  the 
recei])t  of  two  specimens  sent  to  him  from  New  York  through  the  agency 
of  Mr.  Hallock,  who  had  received  them  from  Michigan.  The  subject 
was  then  taken  up  by  the  newspapers,  and  the  Grayling  was  soon  well 
known.  A  name  closely  associated  with  the  study  of  the  Grayling  is  the 
honored  one  of  the  late  James  W.  Milner.  In  1871,  Mr.  Milner,  in 
company  with  Mr.  D.  H.  Fitzhugh,  of  Bay  City,  Mich.,  visited  the 
Jordan  River  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  specimens  of  this  fish;  but, 
although  many  were  seen  in  the  clear  cold  waters,  they  could  not  be  in- 
(lu(  ed  to  take  the  hook  during  the  day  spent  on  the  river.  In  1873  he 
again  visited  this  region,  and  subsequently  published  several  popular 
articles  on  the  subject  of  "  Graylings  of  North  America,"  which  consti- 
tute a  considerable  portion  of  the  very  few  essays  finished  by  him,  out  of 
the  many  which  were  planned,  and  interrupted  by  his  untimely  death. 

Milner's  description  of  the  habitat  of  the  Grayling  is  excellent: 
"In  thecenter  of  the  Lower  Peninsula  of  Michigan  is  an  elevated  plateau, 
a  sandy  region,  with  a  soil  containing  a  very  small  percent,  of  organic 


/•///•;  (,A'./]7./.\7;.v. 


4S7 


matter,  and  toMTcd  with  a  fiirc^t  i>f  |.iiK>.  _m.iuially  tlic  Nnway  pine. 
/'inns  lisinosit,  Linn.,  urowinj^  in  j,'rantl  (liini'nsions,  the  Inn^',  linilili>s 
shafts  making  wide  hoards,  free  frnm  knots,  yet  but  little  iilili/cd,  wliilc 
immense  t'orests  of  the  favorite  hnnlur  nniterial.  white  iiine.  /'inns  sti,>/'n.\\ 
are  yet  uncut.  I'rom  tiiis  )il,iit.au  arise  sever, d  hii^e  streams  and  risers, 
llowinj;  each  way  into  Lakes  Huron  and  Mithi;,'an.  Amonj;  thi>e  are 
three  rivers  of  note,  the  Muskegon,  the  Manistee,  eilliifying  into  Lake 
Michigan,  and  the  Ausalile.  entering  into  Lake  Huron.  Among  tlie  minor 
streams  are  the  Cheboygan.  Thunder  iJay,  and  Kille,  tributary  to  L.ike 
Huron,  and  the  Jonhin,  cmjiyting  througli  I'ine  Lake  into  tlie  Traverse 
Ikiys  of  l,ake  Michigan.  A  tew  br. inches  and  streams,  sjiring  ted.  are 
i'ormed,  in  wliic  h  the  u.iter  h.is  a  tmit'orm  degree  of  coUhuss  tlirougliout 
the  summer,  sehlom  rising  aliove  5^°.  The  rivers  Rifle,  Ausable,  Jordan. 
Mersey,  branch  of  the  Muskegon,  and  the  headwaters  of  Manisti'e.  all  have 
this  charac  ter.  and  in  all  of  these,  and  only  in  this  limited  locality, 
short  of  the  Yellowstone  region,  is  t"ound  the  alreaily  famous  Mit  higan 
drayling." 

The  town  of  (Irayling,  Mich.,  tormerly  (.died  Crawtord,  is  in  the 
midst  of  this  tlistrict.  and  the  he.uhiuarters  of  dravling  fishermen.  The 
(irayling  is  said  to  live  also  in  Portage  Lake,  in  the  extreme  northern  part 
of  the  State.  'I'hese  streams  seei  to  be  remarkably  cold,  being  fe<l  by 
iiumerous  springs.  Milner  found  llie  Ausable  to  vary  between  45°  and  49^^ 
morning  and  evening,  in  September  ;  and  Mr.  Fit/hugh  has  remarked  that 
the  south  branch  of  this  river.  whi(  h  ri  -■■s  in  a  swampy  lake,  contains  no 
(Irayling  e.xcept  near  it.s  mouth,  when-  its  \  olume  is  swelled  by  large  s[)rings, 
and  its  water  becomes  clear  and  cold. 

The  (Irayling  of  Europe,  '/'ixinallns  : n/i^aris,  is  also  restricted  to  cold 
streams,  and  appears  to  be  found  within  limited  areas.  It  is  found  in 
Norway,  Sweden,  I-apland,  and  the  ( )reades.  in  Swit/erland  and  Hungarv, 
and  southward  to  lakes  Constance  and  Leman,  in  Bavaria.  A  C.rayling, 
possibly  of  different  species,  occurs  in  Lake  >Liggiore,  and  others  have 
been  re  ni/ed  from  Russia  and  Siberia.  It  is  constantly  being  discov- 
ered in  IK  V  localities.  In  England  the  species  was  formerly  known  as 
the  "  Umber."  "  And  in  this  river  be  Umbers,  otherwi.se  called  (Irail- 
ings,"  wrote  Holinshed,  in  "The  Description  of  l>ritaine,"  A.  I).  1577. 
The  German  name,  "  Aes(  he,"  has  been  thought  to  refer,  like  "Grayling," 
to  its  color.  The  I'-uropean  and  American  fishes  are  so  similar  that  only 
a  trained  ichthyologist  can  distinguish  them,  and  their  habits  are  very 
much   the  same.     Our  drawling  spawns   in  April  in  the  Ausable.  that  of 


488 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


iMircjpc  in  Martli  and  April,  and  sometimes,  it  is  said,  in  May.  Ours 
rarely  grows  to  the  length  of  sixteen  inches,  and  the  largest  Milner  could 
finil  weighed  less  than  two  ])ounds,  the  average  length  being  ten  or  eleven 
inches,  with  a  weight  of  half  a  pound.  The  Euroi)ean  fish  is  said  to  grow 
to  eighteen  inches  long,  and  the  weight  of  four  i)ounds  and  one-half. 

Milner  remarks  :  "  Like  the  Brook  Trout,  their  natural  food  consists  of 
the  insects  that  light  or  fall  upon  the  surfa*  e  of  the  stream.  Their  stomachs 
were  found  to  contain  broken  and  partially  digested  specimens  of  coleop- 
tera,  neuro]nera,  as  well  as  the  larvre  of  species  of  the  dragon-flies.  There 
were  also  found  in  their  stomachs  the  leaves  of  the  white  cedar.  Thuja  occi- 
dcntalis,  which  drop  continually  on  the  surface  of  the  stream,  and  are 
probably  taken  because  the  fish  in  their  quick  darts  to  the  surface  mistake 
them  for  insects  falling  ui)on  the  water. "  In  France  they  are  said  also 
to  devour  little  mollusks  and  the  eggs  of  fishes. 

The  propagation  of  the  Michigan  Grayling  was  attempted  as  soon  as  its 
existence  was  known.  Mr.  Fred.  Mather  and  Mr.  Seth  Green,  always 
pioneers  in  such  enterprises,  were  the  first  to  attempt  it,  and  they  were 
soon  followed  by  others,  and  the  Grayling  is  now  to  be  found  in  many 
fish-cultural  establishments.  I  saw  two  hundred  fine  yearlings  at  Wythe- 
ville  Va.,  in  1887. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  over  the  claims  of  the  Grayling  as  a 
game-fish,  and  also  its  excellence  for  food.  It  has  many  ardent  admirers 
and  detractors.  The  enthusiasm  with  which  it  was  greeted  ten  years  ago 
has  somewhat  subsided,  and  it  seems  doubtful  whether  a  vote  of  the  guild 
of  American  anglers  would  now  place  it  in  the  first  rank  of  noble  fishes. 

"  There  is  no  species  sought  for  by  anglers,"  writes  Mather,  "  that  sur- 
passes the  Grayling  in  beauty.  They  are  more  elegantly  formed  and  more 
graceful  than  the  Trout,  and  their  great  dorsal  fin  is  a  superb  mark  of  love- 
liness. When  the  well-lids  were  lifted,  and  the  sun's  rays  admitted,  light- 
ing up  the  delicate  olive-brown  tints  of  the  back  and  sides,  the  bluish-white 
of  the  abdomen,  and  the  mingling  of  tints  of  rose,  pale  blue,  and  purplish- 
pink  on  the  fins,  they  displayed  a  combination  of  colors  equaled  by  no  fish 
outside  of  the  tropics." 


"^. 


THE  LAKE  WHITE  FISH, 


THE  LAKE  WHITE   FISHES,  AND   THE  SMELTS. 


Of  venison  Goldsmith  may  wittily  sing, 

A  very  fine  haunch  is  a  very  fine  thing  ; 

And  Burns,  in  his  tuneful  and  exquisite  way, 

The  charms  of  a  smoky  Scotch  haggis  display  ; 

But  'tis  often  much  harder  to  eat  than  descant. 

And  a  poet  may  praise  what  a  poet  may  want ; 

Less  doubt  there  shall  be  'twixt  my  Muse  and  my  dish 

While  her  powers,  I  invoke  in  the  praise  of  White  Fish. 

Henkv  R.  Schoolcraft. 


THE  White-fish  of  the  Great  Lakes,  Coregonus  chipeiformis  is  a  well 
known  fish  which  has  numerous  representatives  in  the  lakes  of  the 
Great  West,  all  of  which  will  necessarily  come  into  prominence  as  the 
country  becomes  more  densely  populated,  and  all  of  which  will  doubt- 
less in  time  come  under  the  attention  of  the  fish  culturist,  though  none 
of  them  are  of  any  especial  interest  to  the  angler. 

Coregonus  chipeiformis  (Mitchill)  Milner,  as  has  been  said,  is  the  most 
important  of  its  family.  It  inhabits  the  Great  Lakes  and  British  America, 
and  is  replaced  in  Alaska  by  C.  Richardsotiii.  This  species  has  been 
artificially  reared,  and  widely  distributed  beyond  seas,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  important  market  fishes  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley. 

Next  in  rank  is  the  Coregoneus  Artedi  almost  universally  known  as  the 
"Lake  Herring."  The  name  "Cisco"  is  also  often  applied  to  it, 
especially  about  the  smaller  lakes,  and   in  many  regions  also  the  name 


490 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


"  Micliigan  Herring."  The  Lake  Herring  is  one  of  the  most  abundant 
fishes  of  the  Great  Lake  region,  probably  second  only  to  the  White-fish 
in  importance  as  a  food-fish.  It  goes  in  large  schools,  and  is  taken  i;i 
great  numbers  in  comparatively  shallow  waters.  It  ranges  northeastward 
to  Labrador,  the  eye  becoming  larger  eastward.  The  sub-species  s/sco  of 
Jordan  is  a  form  modified  by  residence  in  small  deep  lakes  in  Wisconsin 
and  Indiana,  and  probably  in  Northern  New  England  and  New  York. 
Its  usual  length  is  little  more  than  a  foot.  Its  mouth  is  much  larger  than 
that  of  the  White-fish,  and  its  range  of  food  is  doubtless  greater.  It 
usually  remains  in  deep  water  until  in  November  and  December,  when 
great  numbers  come  near  shore  to  spawn  in  the  shallow  waters.  As  a 
food-fish  the  Lake  Herring  ranks  well,  and  although  it  is  considerably 
inferior  to  Corcgonus  cliipeifonnis,  it  is  sent  to  market  in  immense 
(junntities. 

Corcgonus  Iloyi,  occurs  in  Lakes  Michigan  and  Ontario,  in  deep  water  ; 
in  (lie  lakes  of  Western  New  York  (particularly  Geneva  Lake)  where  it 
sometimes  dies  in  great  numbers.  It  is  known  as  "  Frost  fish  "  in  some 
parts  of  New  York. 

The  Mongrel  White-fish,  Coregomis  tullibee,  is  a  species  occasion- 
ally taken  in  the  Upper  Great  Lakes,  where  it  is  generally  considered  a 
hybriil  between  a  W' hite-fish  and  a  Lake  Herring,  hence  the  name  of  "Mon- 
grel White-fish."  It  is  a  rare  fish  in  collections,  and  nothing  distinctive 
is  known  of  its  habits.  Its  range  extends  northward,  to  Alaska,  where 
young  have  recently  been  taken  in  the  Kowah  River. 

'I'he  Menomonee  White-fish,  Corcgonus  quadrilatcralis,  inhabits  the 
Lakes  of  New  England,  Upper  Great  Lakes,  and  is  found  northwestward 
to  Alaska  ;  occurring  at  Kodiak  Island  in  the  Gulf  of  Alaska.  It  is  re- 
placed in  the  Rocky  Mountain,  and  Sierra  Nevada  regions  by  C.  Ullliam- 
son'ii.  The  name  of  "Round-fish"  is  given  to  it  by  Richardson,  and 
that  of  "  Shad  Waiter  "  (Winnipiseogee  Lake)  by  Prescott.  In  the  Great 
Lakes  it  is  much  less  abundant  than  the  common  White-fish,  and  its  size 
is  less  than  that  of  tlie  White-fish. 

Rocky  ^Mountain  White-fish,  Corcgonus  Williamsonii,  occurs  in  the 
upper  tributaries  of  the  Missouri  and  streams  flowing  into  the  Columbia ; 
also  in  clear  lakes  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific  ;  it  is  abundant 
in  the  Sierra  Nevada.  This  species  is  usually  known  as  the  White-fish  ; 
in  L'tahas  the  "Mountain  Herring."     It  reaches  a  length  of  a  little  more 


THE  WHITE  F /SITES  AXD  THE  SMEL  7S. 


401 


than  a  foot,  and  a  weight  of  about  a  pound.  It  is  common  in  the  market 
of  Salt  Lake  City,  and  sometimes  comes  into  the  San  Francisco  market, 
t  It  spawns  in  October  and  November,  running  from  the  hikes  into  the  small 
streams  for  this  purpose.  As  a  food-fish  it  ranks  well,  being  similar  to 
its  Eastern  relative,  C.  qiiadrilateralis. 

The  "Blue-fin"  or  "Black-fin,"  Corcgonus  nigripiinus,  has  thus  far 
been  taken  only  in  the  deeper  waters  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  in  deep 
lakes  near  Madison,  Wis.  At  times  it  conies  in  considerable  numbers 
to  the  Chicago  market,  but  it  is  in  general  a  rare  sj^'cies.  It  reaches  a 
much  larger  size  than  the  Lake  Herring,  which  it  very  closely  resembles 
in  general  appearance. 

The  "  Inconnu  "  of  the  French  trappers  and  voyageurs  of  the  far  north, 
is  the  Stciwdtis  Machcnzii,  which  inhabits  the  Mackenzie  river  and  its  tri- 
butaries, Yokon  and  Kowak  rivers,  Alaska.  It  is  a  food-fish  of  great 
value,  said  to  reach  forty  pound?>  !r.  'vi^ght. 

The  habits  of  the  Coregoni  are  little  understood.  The  i)ublications  of 
the  Fish  Commission  will  give  all  that  is  of  record,  and  also  a  full  history 
of  what  has  been  done  in  their  artificial  propagation. 


^•**^i^ 


•i^sui-i, 


^.^v.*^0^^^ 


^^A 


THK  S.MKI.T. 

The  Smelt,  Osvierus  moniax,  is  found  along  our  Atlantic  coast  from 
Virginia  to  the  Gulf  of  Saint  Lawrence.  The  northern  limit  of  its  range 
has  not  been  precisely  defined,  although  it  is  known  to  be  extremely  abund- 
ant along  the  northern  shores  of  New  Brunswick.  It  is  also  found  in  many 
of  the  fresh-water  lakes  of  iSIaine,  New  Brunswick,  and  Nova  Scotia, 
where  they  have  become  land-locked,  and  in  some  instances,  as  in  Belgrade 
Lake,  Maine,  seem  to  have  rather  been  improved  in  size  and  flavor  by  the 
change  from  salt  to  fresh  water. 

The  Wilton  Smelt  of  Wilton  Pond,  Kennebec  County,  Maine,  and  the 


492 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Cobessicontic  Smelt  are  two  of  the  land-locked  forms  which  have  received 
specific  names. 

The  European  Smelt,  O.  eperlamis,  which,  though  very  similar  in  form 
to  our  own,  differs  from  it  in  the  size  of  its  scales,  is  found  in  Southern 
Sweden,  as  far  north  as  Christiania  Fjord  district,  lat.  62°,  and  south  as 
the  entrance  to  the  river  Loire,  lat.  47°,  ascending  the  Seine  as  high  as 
Rouen.  It  is  the  "Stint"  and  the  "Spearling"  of  (Germany,  the 
"Smelt"  or  "Sparling"  of  P^ngland,  and  the  "  Sj)iering"  or  "Spearl- 
ing" of  Holland.  It  is  found  in  the  Baltic,  and,  entering  the  Gulf  of 
Finland,  becomes  a  member  of  the  fauna  of  Russia,  and  is  found  land- 
locked in  cool  lakes,  especially  those  of  Norway,  and  also  in  many  of  the 
lakes  of  Northern  Germany,  and  even  as  far  south  as  Bavaria. 

The  Smelt  enters  our  rivers  and  brackish  bays  during  the  winter  months 
for  the  purpose  of  spawning,  and  at  this  period  is  caught  in  immense 
quantities  in  nets  and  by  hook  and   line. 

It  is  to  be  regret:ed  that  no  one  has  made  careful  observations  upon  the 
beginning  and  close  of  the  breeding  season  of  this  species  at  different 
points  along  the  coast,  but  the  spawn  appears  to  be  deposited,  generally, 
late  in  the  winter  and  early  in  the  spring.  The  smelt  fishery  is  increasing 
yearly  in  importance,  owing  to  the  greater  facilities  for  the  transportation 
offish  in  ice.  As  long  ago  as  1853,  Storer  stated  that  in  Watertown,  Mass., 
alone,  about  750,000  dozen  were  annually  taken  in  scoop-nets  from  the 
first  of  March  to  the  first  of  June.  Perley,  stated  in  1S52,  that  on 
the  Gulf  coast  of  New  Brunswick  large  quantities  were  used  every  season 
as  manure,  while  at  the  fishing  stations  in  the  Bay  of  Chaleur  it  was  taken 
in  the  seine,  and  used  as  bait  for  cod.  At  the  present  time,  however, 
there  is  an  enormous  shipment  of  Smelts  from  this  region  to  the  United 
States,  forty  car-loads  sometimes  being  received  in  New  York  in  the  course 
of  one  winter.  As  early  as  1S64,  according  to  a  note  from  Mr.  J. 
Matthew  Jones,  quantities  of  Smelts  were  packed  at  Halifax  for  shipment 
to  the  United  States. 

Although  on  account  of  its  great  abundance  it  sells  in  the  markets  at  a 
low  price,  it  is  among  the  very  choicest  of  all  oUr  food-fishes. 

The  "Green"  Smelts,  as  they  are  called,  or  those  which  have  never 
been  frozen,  are  much  the  more  highly  esteemed,  especially  those  which 
come  from  the  Raritan  Bay  and  other  points  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York. 


INDEX. 


Abeona 272 

Alewife  386 

Amber-fish 232 

Ancliovies  408 

Angel-fish 146 

Bachelor 71 

Barb 123 

Bar-fish 34.69 

Barrel-fish 223 

Bass 102 

Black 205,  268 

Brassy 23 

Calico 69 

Channel,  name  for  Red  Drum     102 

Grass 99 

Green  52 

Moss 55 

Oswego 55 

Otsego 489 

Red,  name  for  Red  Drum 102 

Rock 39,  52,  68 

River '..       56 

Sea 22,39,407 

Silver  \   33-69 

Spotted  50,102 

Strawberry  406 

Striped 22 

Striped  Lake 33 

White 33 

Yellow  33 

Bastard  Snapper 84 

Beshow 271  355 

Bezuga 129 

Bielaya  ryba 477 

Bill-fish 240 

Bitter  Head 69 

Black  Bass 54 

Black-fish  39 

Black  Grunt 398, 399 

Black  Harry 39 

Black  Will 39 

Blacksmith 276 

Blanquillo 361 

Blueback 394 

Bluefish  151 

Boccac  or  Boccaccio  209 

Bodieon 270 

Bone-fish 410 

Bonito  146,  2d6 

Bony  fish 386 


Boregata 269 

Brail  315 

Bream,  Fresh  water 66 

Salt-water,  or  Sea 53' 99 

Bugfishor  Bughead 386 

BuH'alo  fishes  438 

l^ufi'alo  Jack 228 

I5ull-head,  or  Bull  Pout 376 

Bull  Trout 504 

Burgall 296 

Butterfish 221,  232 

Cabrilla  52 

Campbellite  71 

Candle-fish  271 

Carangoid  fishes 226 

Carp 411 

Carp  Sucker 437 

Cat-fishes 376 

Cavally '226 

Cavasina 233 

Ceroes i's6 

Chars 469 

Cherna 4S 

Chickwit Ill 

Chinquapin  Perch 69 

Chogset 296 

Choweecha 484 

Chub 423 

Cisco 541 

Coal-fish 145,353 

Cobia 144 

Cod  and  its  kindred 333 

Corsair 266 

Corvina 121 

Crab-eater 145 

Crappie  70 

Creek-fish 436 

Crevalle 209,  226 

Croaker 133,  142 

Cultus  Cod 270 

Cunner 296 

Cusk 358 

Cutlass-fish 235 

Dab 152 

Dace 425 

Daylight 326 

Dollardee 66 

Dolphins 234 

Dore  or  Dory 14 

Drum 136 


4'J-\ 


AMERICAN  FISHES. 


Drum,  Red loi 

l'".iir  Maid 92 

l-'all-lisli 42.S 

I'at-hack 365,  3.S6 

I'laniiLl  Moiitli 79 

Mouiidcrs  and  I-'lukcs 3'4i.i- 

l'"rijjale  Mackerel 213 

I'rostlish 491 

(iarriipa,  various  kinds 261-73 

(iaspereau 393 

Gaspergou 143 

(_;  lass-eye 14 

Goggle-eye 67,  68,  69.  71 

Goggle-eyed  Jack 22S 

Goggler 22S 

Gold-fish 417 

Goody 129 

(.i.and  Ecaille 406 

Grayling  485 

tireen-tisii  151 

Green-head 22 

(ireen-tail 3S6 

Grilse 451 

Grouper 47,  51,  52,  148 

Grunt 79,82 

Guasa 49 

Gurnard 305 

Haddock 355 

Hake  123,359 

Half-moon 100 

Halibut 307 

Hard-head  3S5 

Hard-tail  228 

Harvest-fish 221 

Hemdurgan  257 

Herrings 381 

Hickory  Shad 404 

Hind,  Spotted 50 

Hog-choker 337 

Hogfish 21,  81 

Horned  Dace 427 

Horn  Pout 378 

Horse-eyed  Jack 228 

Horse-fish 232 

Horse-head 132 

Horse-mackerel 215 

Jack 269 

Jew-fish 49,406 

Jewel-head 173 

John  Dory 257 

[urobado 232 

Jn'iiP^^T 55.56 

lurel  128 

Killifish 422 

King  Cero 186 


King-fish  123 

Kipper 441 

Kisutch 482 

Krasnaya  Ryba 481 

Kyack.'. 394 

Lady-fish  410 

Lafayette 129 

Lamplighter 69 

Leatlier-jacket 234 

1-iii.i; ■ 145,270 

Log-fish 213 

Log-Perch 21 

Look-down 232 

Lunge 463 

Mackerel 16^ 

lUill 177 

Chui) 177 

Ivister 179 

l''rigate 213 

Horse 215 

Horse  (Anoplopoma) 271 

Monterey 187 

Spanish 184 

Thimble-eye 1 77 

Tinker 177 

Mackinaw  Trout 463 

Mademoiselle 133 

Maigre 109 

Malashaganay 142 

Mangrove  Snapper 52 

Margate  fish So 

Marsh  Bass 56 

Mattowacca 404 

IMedialuna too 

Medregal 234 

Menhaden 3S5 

Minnows 420 

Moharra 272 

Moon-eye 187 

Moon-fish 232, 146 

Mossbunker 385 

Mullets 123,  363 

Muskellunge 276 

Namaycush 463 

New  Light 71 

Norway  Haddock 257 

Ombre  Chevalier 478 

Oswego  Bass 55 

Otsego  Bass 489 

Perch  of  Alaska 272 

name  for  Black  Bass 56 

Chogset 273 

Drum 142 

Sunfish 66 

Black 56 


ixnjcx. 


495 


Perch I 

niack i.iS 

HliiL- 297 

llrid.i,^!.- 71 

Cl)iii(iuai)iii 69 

(.lof^l^le-L-yt' 69 

Gray,  name  for  Drum 142 

Grc-fU 56 

I'<>;4 417 

V\kv II 

Rfcl 260 

Rl-iI  l)L-lliccl 66 

Riiii^fd 414 

River 279 

Sacramento 67 

Speckled  71 

Silver 131 

Stone 2 

Strawberry 66 

Striped 2 

Sun 69 

Wiiite 35 

name  for  Drum 141 

Yellow [ 

name  for  l>lack  Bass 69 

Pesce  Vermi;j;lia  265 

Pez  Colorado 102 

Pickerel 276 

name  for  Pike  Perch 14 

Pig-fishes 79,  Si 

Pike 274 

name  for  Pike  Perch  14 

Wall-eyed,     name    for    Pike 

Percii 14 

Pike  Perch 14 

Pilot-fish 235 

Pin-fish 91.99 

Plaice 314 

Posy 3S5 

Poisson  Rouge 102 

Pollock 305 

Pompanoes igS 

Porgy 99,100 

Three-tail 146 

Porgy,  P'lannel  Mouth 80 

Pork-fish 81 

Pristipoma 81 

Priest  Fish 268 

Pumpkin- seed 64,  221 

(Jualoch 483 

Oiieen-fish 128 

(Jiiill-back 437 

Quinnat 484 

Rainl)ow  Trout 456 

Ravalga  or  Ravallia 140 


\iv^  r.nast 66 

Red-Drum  102 

Red-eye 67,68 

Red- li'n 13  r 

Red-fish  i()2 

Red  Grouper (7,  ~t2 

Red  nioutli ..       79 

Red-Perch 257 

Red-Snapper 73 

Reiiia  .     267 

Roach  128 

Rol)alo 149 

Rock 22,  56 

Rock-1'.ass 68 

Rock-cod 261 

of  the  Pacific 26,  73 

Rock-fish 21,  22,  51 

Ruck-Salmon 233 

Roncador 134,  121 

Rtjse-fish  257 

Round  R()l)in 230 

Rudder-fish 223,  234 

Runner 237 

Sac-a-lait,  name  for  Crappie 71 

Sah-ciuai 481 

Sail)ling 478 

Sail-fish 240 

Sailor's  Choice 80,  81.  84,  96,  99 

Salmon 441 

ISluehack  481 

California 484 

Chinnook 484 

Dog 480 

Hardhead 455 

Humpback 480 

t^«-'lp 52 

keta  483 

King  482 

Kisutch 482 

Land-locked 445 

Nerka  4S1 

yuinnat  484 

Silver  483 

Steelhead 455 

White 14,233,483 

Salmon-Trouts 454 

Sardine,  California 394 

Sargo 81 

•'^'iiig<;r 15 

Savanilla 406 

Saw-belly 394 

Scads 231 

.Scamp 5 

Scrod 338 

Sculpin 301 


.,\ 


ri 


\l) 


496 


■/•'/^:/VC/.r^y.sy//,.V 


■.. 


•Scup 

Si-a  Mass 

Sc-a-rohiii 

•"^<--r«:eaiit-risii..".".' 

Shad 

.Shc-epslic.acl....; 

ii.-ime  (or  I!iu.ler"-fi.si; 

l^ake 

•Shimr ."."""' 

SiiotniakLr ...! 

Silver  liass....      

•Sil\(.-r-(isli...        

Skouitz 

•Snielt 

•Sniolt 

Snajiper 

name  for'Rose'-hsh 

liastard  

Hlack 


....      92 
...        :59 

••••  303 

-  M5 

-  39« 
...  .S3 
•••  221 
..  142 
99, 3^6 
■■  23., 

•     4u6 

•.  206 

••  477  , 

••  491 

•  452    ' 

•  73 

78,84 
7« 


Mangrove  ...      7^''.  79 

Pensacola  .. .    52,78 

Red 

Snooks 

name  forCobia.! 

Sole  

Spade-fish  v.','.'."." 

Spanish  Fkig  ..'..'.] 

Mackerel 

Spot  na'nieVorR^^----- 

.jprat 

Scnietea.gue 

Sqiiin-el-fish  ,     

SquitorSquiteeV. 

ifedSci  ^:"'!  ^''  ^^""--fi«'^ 

Strawberry  iiass 

c,  .Perch ■;;; 

Striped  Jiass..  

Suckers  

Siik-kegh.. 


Sword-fish  ... 

,  ji"'''i"-.shad...::: 

'   iarpum     

Taiitog  .....   

Thiinder-piin'ip^lr 

'in  A/oiah ■■■■ 

Tree-fish  .. 
'I>ipJe-tail 

^'■"•|li,.;!i'";;'^>'-'^'ackj{ass 

JJIack-spottecl.. 

l>rook 

Cut-tiiroat 

^>>'Jy  Varden".".".;; 

t'olden 

<^'reenland 

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